


Limit Breaker

by supershadsy



Series: Limit Breaker [1]
Category: Super Smash Brothers
Genre: Fights, Fluff, M/M, Suffering, Sword Bros
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-11
Updated: 2016-02-11
Packaged: 2018-05-13 21:01:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 33,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5716948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supershadsy/pseuds/supershadsy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cloud Strife is dropped into the world of Smash, with little remembrance of where he came from, as well as not knowing a single person there. His first opponent is Link, who ends up being his roommate in this strange fighting tournament. They enter battles together and cultivate a strong bond in their adventures together, which leads to something more...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Phase 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, reader! I hope you're ready for this wild ride. My goal is that if you didn't ship Link/Cloud before reading this, you at least consider afterward. That's all. Oh, and if you do like it, please let me know!
> 
> Special thanks to my betas/enablers AlexSonata and maskedhero for being another pair of eyes on this piece!

_ Where...am I? _

Cloud Strife rubbed his head, pain throbbing behind his eyes.  _ Am I still in the Lifestream? I can’t remember.  _ He blinked his eyes open, vision blurring before coming into focus to his surroundings. A sunset flooded around him, through to a weathered asphalt covered in moss and grass beneath him. There was an odd, blue and yellow emblem in the center, and in the distance, he could see dozens of strange architectures--some merely platforms floating in space, others crumbling castles. The moon loomed strangely close, and there were red banners flying on the next nearest structure. Both were emblazoned with a circle with a cross off-center through it.  _ How strange… _

He rose to his feet, feeling a little queasy as he did so, and dusted off his knees.  _ I’m still in my SOLDIER uniform.  _ He reached behind his back to feel the comfortable handle of his sword, the weight of it hardly reaching his conscience.  _ And I still have my Buster Sword.  _ He began backing up, gawking at his surroundings.  _ One thing’s for sure, I’m certainly not on--! _

Three steps, four steps too far, and his heel reached empty space. He flailed to keep his balance, jumping back onto solid ground as he watched crumbles of pebbles go sinking into the seemingly endless abyss.  _ Is there even...ground? Is this some sort of sky city?  _

_ And if it  _ is  _ a city...where the hell is everyone?  _

_ Tifa?  _

_ Barret? Anyone? _

A shuffle in front of him caught his attention, and he glanced up to see a young man brandishing a sword was standing at the other side of the platform. 

Cloud regained his footing and cautiously approached him, still as the other person was. He was wearing a green tunic of sorts, blonde hair with a green cap, and stunning blue eyes that pierced him from across the stage. The air became so quiet, he could hear the leather ache as he gripped his sword--not nearly as big as his, but just as powerful, by the looks of it. He carried a shield with an interesting crest on his right side--a stylized bird in red on a blue background, with three, triangular shapes in gold at the top.  _ Is this guy a knight of some sorts? Some kind of crazy world this is… _

Cloud cleared his throat. “H-hey,” he said, keeping his distance. “Do you think you could tell me...what this place is?” 

The man’s sword faltered as he blinked in surprise, but with a heavy breath out of his nose, he instead started running at Cloud, sword pointed forward.  _ Well, so much for that,  _ he thought, pulling his Buster Sword out of its sheath on his back. As the man came running, clinking in his chainmail, he raised the sword high above his head and jumped. “HeeyYAH!” he cried, bringing it hard down at Cloud’s head.

Cloud was quick though, the width of his sword easily blocking the blow, but it still sent him skidding backwards, right to the edge of the ledge. “So, that’s how it’s going to be then,” he grunted, pushing his sword forward to thrust the man away, trying to get a better look.  _ Pointed ears? Some kind of...elf-man?  _ “No name, no nothing, we’re just going to fight?”

The other grit his teeth in a grimace and lunged forward again, this time aiming for his lower torso, and Cloud blocked again, keeping his stance firm and wide. “Damn it, why won’t you just answer my question?” he growled, eventually throwing his whole body weight into his sword and slamming it forward. 

Miraculously, the elf-man dodged it, rolling behind him to slice him in the back. “Agh--!” Cloud cried, stumbling forward. Instinctively, he reached behind him, expecting to feel the warm trickle of blood, but there was nothing there but a tear in his shirt.  _ What? It hurts like it should, but there’s no wound-- _

While he was distracted, the elf-man had managed to pull a bow from his person, and by the time he looked up, he was staring an arrow down right in the face.  _ Shoot!  _ It shot straight and true, piercing him right in the chest. His attempt to deflect it was delayed, and he expected to feel the wrenching pain of ripping the arrow out through his skin, but once again, there was only a rip in his shirt--no puncture wound, and even the arrow was mysteriously missing. “What the hell?” he exclaimed.  _ So I can get hurt--and feel it, that’s for sure--but it doesn’t show? What is this,  _

_ a dream?  _

He was readying another arrow, but Cloud willed his legs to move, sprinting forward and sliced the bow out of his hands. It clattered to the ground, but in the split second he looked back up to him to watch for sudden movements, and then back down to the ground, it was gone.  _ Great.  _ The man was prepared, however, and had his sword back out already, slashing at Cloud. 

Cloud soon found that he could gain on speed if he pushed hard enough, and soon it was the other who was forced back off, putting up his shield with the strange crest.  _ He’s still calm, though,  _ he thought as he tried to cut by his knees. The man jumped back and countered with a jab at his wrists.  _ He’s not fighting out of...anger. Not that it seems. It’s like a training exercise, like his life truly isn’t at stake here. _

_ So, what does that mean for me?  _

The man slashed in the midst of his thoughts, making Cloud stumble back, and when he jumped to stab him from above once again, he instinctively threw his arms together in a cross motion, his sword straight up against his face, squeezing his eyes shut. Strangely, he didn’t feel the blow when it was supposed to come, and when he opened his eyes, a glowing, translucent bubble had surrounded him. “A shield?” he marvelled out loud. 

This didn’t phase the other, who kept hacking at it, making it grow increasingly smaller and smaller around him.  _ How long can I hold this? How long am I able to?  _ His question was soon answered as the other gripped his sword tight and slashed  _ hard,  _ once,

then twice,

and the shield around him snapped and shattered into the ether. Cloud’s vision doubled, and he held his head as dizziness overwhelmed him, barely able to stand up straight. He tried to squint at the green clad man in front of him, breathing heavily, ready to make the final slash and destroy him--

“Link?” 

A woman’s voice echoed through the stage, and distracted the man long enough to turn his back toward it. Cloud regained his composure nearly as soon as it was lost, and as a last effort, tried to backslash his opponent. The other sensed the movement of his enormous sword, and spun around on one heel, shield out--and was he smirking? He was.  _ Damn it.  _ Cloud scowled as he pulled his sword away, leaving the other to run across the stage to the owner of the voice.

Cloud was more hesitant, taking his time to approach the portal and company that had strangely appeared there. The woman was tall, wearing a long white dress with a purple vest over the top. It was adorned with gold shoulder pads, and a strange gold belt adorned at the hips. From it dangled a banner that was similar to the crest on the other man’s shield. Her hair was long, crowned, and she also sported the same ears as his former opponent. She spoke easily with him (even if it did appear that she was the only one talking), and he cleared his throat to get their attention. “Do you think  _ you _ could tell me where I am?” he asked gruffly.

The woman turned. “Oh, you must be the new challenger,” she said. Her voice was sharp, and made him stand a little taller. “What is your name?”

“C--” He hesitated, his head

_ (where did I come from again? Where am I supposed to be? Who am I supposed to be?)  _

swimming briefly. “Cloud. Cloud Strife.” The words came thick out of his mouth.  _ That’s not supposed to be a hard question… _

“That’s right, I remember now,” she replied. “Yours was the invitation that didn’t quite reach you, wasn’t it?”

“Invitation?” he asked, finally sheathing his sword, as the other man had done the same, looking on at the conversation.

“From Master Hand--” she started, but stopped once the other man began whispering in her ear, hand cupped for privacy. “Ah, right. I should not be so hasty. I am Zelda,” she introduced, curtseying quickly. “And the person whom you were fighting is Link.”

Link waved, a small smile on his face. “I see,” Cloud replied, glancing between them. “This still doesn’t give me any idea where I am or why I’m even here.”

“Let’s go to the lobby, and I’ll explain more,” Zelda said, gesturing to the door behind her. Or, was it a portal? Blinding white light streamed from it, and when Link first stepped through it, he seemed to disappear.  _ I guess I’m going to be sticking around here for a while,  _ he thought to himself, rolling his neck around his shoulders to crack it.  _ And since I can’t remember _

_ (anything) _

_ much, probably should just...keep rolling with things here. _

* * *

The lobby area that Zelda took them to was more home like--a large, expansive living room area, with a cafeteria toward the back. Cloud gawked at all the surroundings and the bizarre creatures that seemed to be casually hanging around.  _ What is that pink thing? A fox in space gear? A...dragon?  _ He shook his head and chose to keep his eyes on Link’s back ahead of him as they took a seat at one of the tables in the cafeteria. 

“So?” Cloud asked. He took note that when he sat down, it allowed him to sit without removing his sword. “What’s this all about?”

Link immediately darted toward the cafeteria line, leaving only Zelda for company. “This place is...a space between worlds, as it has been explained to me,” she began. Her hands, clad in white gloves, were clasped in front of her neatly. “People are drawn from all sorts of different worlds and times, hand-picked to participate in a casual fighting tournament.”

Cloud’s eyes narrowed.  _ This all seems...far-fetched, if you ask me.  _ He reached behind his head and scratched his neck.  _ But it seems too detailed to be any kind of dream.  _ “And what are we fighting for? Money?”  _ Wonder if they have _

_ (...) _

_...gil here as currency.  _

“Not...necessarily,” she replied. “As far as we know, it is purely for the entertainment of Master Hand.”

“You mentioned that before.”

She shook her head with a thin smile. “I do not know much. Only Mario speaks directly with it, and even he won’t divulge much information--”

“So, what? You’re satisfied to be ripped from your homes just to fight for fun’s sake?” he snapped, just as Link came back to the table with a tray piled with food. He looked between the two of them quickly before diving in. 

“It’s not like that,” Zelda replied, her face still like stone. 

“Then, what  _ is  _ it like? I’ve got people--”

_ (...?)  _

“--b-back where I’m from--”

_ (...) _

“--to take care of, so why did I get thrown in here?” His voice cracked.  _ Damn, I really...can’t remember anything, can I? Seems like the harder I try _

_ (...Aerith…?) _

_ the fuzzier things get.  _

“Whatever you left behind, it has been taken care of,” Zelda said simply, her eyes steady and piercing blue. “The same was said to myself when I was taken from my kingdom, perhaps when my people needed me the most.”

Cloud leaned back. “You’re royalty?” he asked.

“Princess is my title,” she replied. “But I cannot say it applies to me here.”

He sighed through his nose and crossed his arms, eyes wandering over to Link, still in the midst of consuming his tray. “What about this guy?” he asked. “Doesn’t seem like much for words, but compared to what I can see--” A yellow, mouse-like creature darted past their table. “--he seems most similar to you.”

“You’re observant,” she replied with a small smirk. “Link is indeed a familiar face. Although, he was here before I arrived, so…” She trailed off, and when she did, Link looked up at her, their eyes meeting with a quiet understanding before he returned to his food. 

_ Looks like I’m not going to be able to touch that,  _ Cloud thought, still slumped in his chair. “Does he talk?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Not often,” Zelda replied. “I believe the only person he talks to consistently is myself, and even then, it’s brief. I’m sure if he were to trust you, you may be able to hear from him.” 

“Hm.” His eyes flickered to Link once again, who finished eating in a remarkable time, and his former opponent offered him a grin and a quick nod. Cloud only nodded in return. 

“Excuse me…” A timid voice sounded beside his chair, and Cloud looked up to see a tall, lanky man in overalls and a green hat, fussing with an envelope in his hands. His mustache twitched above his lip. “Ah yes! You are Cloud, aren’t you?” 

“Yeah, that’s me,” he replied.  _ Seems like everyone ‘round here knows me, even when I hardly know anyone.  _

“I have your official invitation here,” he said, handing over the envelope. It was cream colored, with only his name in capital letters across the front, and a wax seal on the back that was similar to the banners he had seen on the stage he was on before--a circle with an off center cross. “Sorry it didn’t get to you in time. Usually new challengers aren’t so sudden…”

“Are you Mario then?” Cloud asked, side eyeing Zelda as he did so.

The man’s shoulders drooped. “N-no, I’m Luigi, his brother,” he sighed. “Mario has business to take care of, so I’m second in charge.” Luigi seemed wildly uncomfortable under Cloud’s gaze, and he gestured to the envelope. “Th-there’s room assignments inside, as well as some other information.” He attempted to straighten himself and smile, a weak attempt at best. “Welcome to Smash!”

Luigi scurried off nearly as soon as he came, and Cloud watched him as he slid a finger underneath the seal of the envelope. “Am I that intimidating?” he marvelled to himself.

To his surprise, his new companions answered him--Link wiggled his hand back and forth. “Luigi is easily intimidated,” Zelda replied. “I would not worry too much about it.”

He returned his attention to the envelope, which contained a card:

 

“YOU HAVE BEEN CORDIALLY INVITED TO PARTICIPATE

IN THE ‘SUPER SMASH BROTHERS’ FIGHTING TOURNAMENT

 

RSVP BY DECEMBER 15 2015”

 

Cloud furrowed his brow. “The date…” he muttered.

Zelda peered over the table. “That was yesterday,” she said. “With no reply, it was probably assumed accepted.”

_ Great.  _ He tossed the invitation on the table, splayed open with another slip of paper sliding out of it.  _ What a friggin’ day. Get ripped out of my home world, don’t remember a thing, then get stuck fighting for the rest of my life-- _

_ (wasn’t it what you were going to be doing in the first place?) _

_...Was it?  _

Link had bounded over to examine the invitation further, and lit up, pointing to the extra scrap of paper. “What?” Cloud asked, then looked at it carefully.  _ “Housing: Suite 305.”  _ He glanced up at him, and Link was pointing to himself with a proud look. “Oh...are we going to be...roommates?” 

He nodded, then grabbed him by the arm and waved to Zelda before dragging Cloud away. “Hey, wait a second--!” he protested, but the other seemed insistent on pulling him away.

Zelda did not offer any help. “Bye, Link. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other soon, Cloud.” She smirked as he was whisked away, disappearing through the cafeteria and through a hallway beyond her sight. 

“So, that’s the newcomer, eh?” A deep, gruff voice from behind her startled her. 

“Yes, that is Cloud,” she replied, not looking toward him despite his towering presence.

The man--if one could call him that, with his hulking, enormous body covered in powerful armor--stroked his chin in thought. “He seems like a formidable fighter. I was watching him duel with Link.”

“Were you, now.” Zelda’s jaw was tight.

“I am sure once he gets a handle on the rules of this place, he’ll be a force to be reckoned with.” A dark, heavy hand rested on her shoulder. “And looks like he’s made a new friend. He’s better off than some of the other new challengers.”

“That remains to be seen, Ganon,” she replied. “Now, would you kindly not stand so close?”

Ganondorf chuckled as he strolled away, hands tucked behind his back.

* * *

Cloud was led through a narrow string of hallways and stairs until they reached said Suite 305. Link was nearly bouncing as he unlocked the door and pushed Cloud inside. “You sure have a lot of energy,” he muttered, glancing around. The room was modest, a deep blue color with two large windows at the back of the room. There was a bunkbed in the right corner, to which Link immediately climbed the ladder and sat on top of, cross-legged on his perch. There were two dressers, and some shelves with sparse decoration--notably a small instrument and a bundle of arrows grouped together. 

Link made a grunting sound, and upon getting Cloud’s attention, he pointed toward the window. The sun was setting, washing the entire room with a pinkish hue, and the skyline was decorated similarly to the stage he had arrived on. Broken castles in the distance, and odd structures that seemed to balance on nothing, yet created an eerie beauty from afar. “It...is a nice view,” Cloud admitted. He unsheathed his sword and laid it at the foot of the bed, stretching upward. “So, I guess we’re roommates now, huh? Does that mean you’re not going to try and kill me anymore?”

Link snorted and shook his head, kicking his boots off the top bunk, flinging them toward the door.  _ I don’t know how I’m even going to communicate with this guy if he can’t talk,  _ Cloud thought.  _ Or rather,  _ won’t  _ talk.  _

A hand waved in his face, and he turned back up to Link. He made a cross motion with his hands, then an arc with his finger. “We...fight...tomorrow?” Cloud guessed. Link nodded, then continued: he pointed at Cloud, then folded his hands and rested them against the side of his face, tilting his head. “So I should...sleep?” Another nod.  _ Well, it’s something.  _ “All right, I guess I will.”

Link grinned, blindingly sunny, and tore off his hat, revealing a mess of dark blonde hair beneath. He shook it, making it look tousled and even a little spikey. Cloud raised a hand to his own lighter and spikier hair.  _ Is he trying to imitate me? Strange.  _ “Er...I’m guessing you want the top bunk, since you’re already up there,” Cloud said.

He nodded once again, but tilted his head in question. “Y-yeah, it’s okay,” he said, taking a seat on the bottom bunk, sliding off his own boots. He heard Link above him resituating, and found himself staring at the floor, buried in thought.  _ I wonder if I’ll ever see my friends again. Maybe they’ll get warped here too, somehow. Those two...Link and Zelda, she said they were from the same world...but not at the same time.  _ He shook his head and kicked back onto the bed, hands behind his head.  _ Who knows, maybe I’ll wake up tomorrow and it’ll just be some big dream, I’ll be back in _

_ (...) _

_...back where I’m supposed to be. With all I’m supposed to remember.  _

With that, Cloud’s head lolled to his shoulder, and he drifted into a light sleep. 


	2. Phase 2

The next morning, an aching back woke Cloud up, as well as gentle sunlight streaming through the main windows.  _ This isn’t a dream,  _ he thought begrudgingly, rubbing his head, body hunched over his knees.  _ What a damn shame.  _

He willed himself up, twisting his back to stretch it, and the first thing he noticed was a shoulder guard sitting on the dresser closest to the door.  _ I don’t remember putting that there.  _ He whipped his head back to the bed, where, indeed, his shoulder guard was hanging on a peg by the ladder. Cloud walked to the dresser to also see a pink ribbon furled on top of the dresser, and he picked it up, letting it entwine in his hands.  _ Was this _

_ (...) _

_ mine?  _ He set it aside and opened the drawers, filled with clothes that he didn’t remember being present. He pulled out a sleeveless shirt, dark red, and held it out in front of him.  _ These...are for me, aren’t they?  _ He hastily shoved it back into the dresser, not bothering to shut it.  _ Strange world this is… _

Despite his lack of long-term memory, he managed to make his way through the winding halls of the dormitory with little trouble, and soon found himself into the lobby, where others were milling around, slow in the early morning hour. His focus narrowed on Link, seated in the same spot he was the day before, chowing down on an enormous breakfast plate. He wasn’t completely dressed--his green tunic was absent, leaving him in linen-colored underclothes and a mop of blonde hair. Upon seeing Cloud, he waved and gestured over to him.  _ Guess I don’t have much choice. Not like I know anyone else.  _

_ Whatever. Doesn’t matter.  _

_...Right? _

“Morning,” he said. 

Link nodded, swallowing before making some vague, signing gestures.  _ Did you sleep well? _

“I slept as best I could,” Cloud replied. “Found a bunch of clothes in the dresser. Did someone bring them earlier?”

Link shrugged and continued to shovel down the food, but paused, pointing at his tray, and then to him. “What? No, I’m fine. Not hungry.”

“You should eat,” Zelda said behind him, circling around the table to Link’s side. “The fights here are rigorous, and you ought to keep up your strength.”

“I’m strong enough as it is,” Cloud scoffed. Zelda herself seemed to be having a light breakfast, with only a cup of tea and two slices of toast on her tray.  _ Speak for yourself.  _

“Maybe if Link would  _ share, _ you could get stronger. He eats enough for an army.” Zelda stared at him until he stopped with the fork in his mouth, and giggled a little, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. Was that a trace of a smile on Zelda’s face? Cloud couldn’t tell, as she immediately took a sip of her tea, expression smoothing out to its usual blank slate.  _ They come from the same world, and yet they are very different.  _

“So, are the two of you going to train today?” she asked, setting the tea mug down with a gentle tap.

“I suppose--” Cloud started, but was interrupted by a tap on his shoulder. He glanced up to see a young woman with long blue hair, adorned in armor  _ (Seriously, there are so many knight types here,  _ he thought to himself), slender and trim. Her round face and bright eyes muddled her age and experience, despite her height and stance. “Hm?” 

“You’re Cloud, correct?” she asked.

_ This is starting to get annoying.  _ “Yes,” he replied simply.

She stuck her hand out, nearly bumping his nose. “I am Lucina, Princess of Ylisse. But, please, do not worry about formalities, they hardly matter here.” she said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you!” 

_ Is everyone here some kind of royalty, too? This is the second princess I’ve met…  _ He slowly took her hand, and upon contact, she shook it vigorously before snapping both hands behind her back, elbows square with her body. “I was hoping to contact you this morning! I’ve heard you are a very skilled fighter.”

“Th-thanks,” he replied.  _ Her enthusiasm is nearly blinding… _

At his lack of conversation, she began to tap her toe. “W-well, I was wondering, since you are a sword fighter and all as well, if we could train together today! I am sure, with our different techniques, we can learn something from each other!” She chuckled, laced with anticipation.

“Actually,” Cloud said, glancing toward Link on the other side of the table. “I think I’m going to be doing something with Link today.” 

“O-oh!” Lucina’s face turned a shade of pink, but she shook her head briefly to try and clear it. “I see! L-Link is a skilled swordsman as well, and he has been here longer than most of us.” 

At this comment, Link waved his hand in front of him, then clenched his fists together as if he were wielding a sword, slashing to and from the table, then giving her an enthusiastic nod. “Er, thank you? I-I guess…?” Lucina said, shifting her weight from one leg to the other. She glanced at Zelda for clarification.

“Link thinks you can hold your own quite well,” she replied with a small nod.  _ Huh,  _ Cloud thought,  _ seems as if not everyone can understand Link equally.  _ He watched as Link made a taut, serious face, sweeping his hand across his bangs and puffing out his chest. “He thinks you could be on par with Marth someday,” Zelda translated.

“Oh! Y-you’re too kind!” Lucina stuttered. “I don’t know if I can master the sword as well as the Hero King himself--!” She brushed her hair back and bowed her head. “Regardless, it was good to meet you, Cloud. I hope we meet on the battlefield soon.”

“Yeah,” Cloud replied, and with that, she turned on one heel and briskly walked to the opposite side of the lobby. The group she approached seemed to be others clad in similar looking armor.  _ They must all be from the same world too. People with similar experiences tend to _

_ (“...you are living proof…”) _

_ stick together, _

_ (“...that I existed.”) _

_ don’t they? _

Cloud’s head pounded, and he massaged his temple in an effort to quell it.  _ I remember the voice, but not the face.  _ He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to conjure an image.  _ Maybe if I focus-- _

His “focus” was short lived, as Link tapped him on the shoulder, suddenly standing beside him with his head tilted. “What? I’m fine,” Cloud said, shaking his head. “Is it time to go?”

Link nodded and clapped him on the shoulder, starting off back toward the dormitories. Cloud began to follow, but was stopped by Zelda’s voice at his back. “You may not expect it,” she said, still placid in her seat, “but Link is quite a good teacher. He can demonstrate techniques well.”

“We’ll see,” he replied.

* * *

As soon as they got dressed, Link led Cloud to a similar portal to the one he had stepped out of before during their first battle--a simple gateway of white light. Upon entering, however, the stage they stepped out onto had a much different feel than the almost whimsical battlefield from before. The sky was grim and dark, and a cityscape loomed in the background, characterized by a power plant pulsing above it all. Cloud’s throat felt dry.  _ I...know this place,  _ he thought, wildly looking around him.  _ It’s not exact by any stretch, but this is...it’s-- _

Link touched his shoulder, and he flinched away, jerking around and flinging out his sword, heart racing. “Sorry,” he apologized as Link stumbled back, shield forward. “This place...it’s familiar to me.”  _ In a good or a bad way…? _

Link nodded slowly as Cloud continued to focus. “This...this is…”

_ (...) _

_ (...M…) _

_ Ah--!  _ “Midgar. This is Midgar, isn’t it?” A shaky burst of laughter bubbled in his throat. “This--is the first thing I’ve really remembered since I’ve been here. This city…”

Link’s arms were crossed, quietly observing his revelation. “But...it’s not the real thing, is it?” he asked. Link shook his head. “Of course not.”  _ A space between worlds, Zelda called it. Does that mean it pulls from all of them, since this place is none of them?  _ Cloud pulled his sword out and leaned against it. “Funny how they can make this...this place when I can barely even remember it...”

A clinking sound startled him, and he looked over to see Link gently tapping against his sword with his own. “Oh, right. We came here to train, didn’t we?” He lifted his sword back up and held it in front of him. “Let’s go.”

Link nodded, bouncing between his feet, shield in one hand, sword in the other.  _ He’s waiting for me to make the first move,  _ Cloud thought, his eyes darting around at his footwork.  _ And watching me to counter...but unless I do anything, well-- _

He exhaled sharp out his nose and rushed forward, spinning his body in an attempt to land a backswing at Link’s left side, his sword hand. In a flash, somehow Link slipped past the blow, and before he knew it, Link had his shield arm around his neck in a chokehold. “Whoa,  _ what--!”  _ he hollered, grappling at his arm, his sword hand doing its best to keep a grip on it. 

_ “Tch!”  _

Link grunted, and kneed him in the back, sending him swerving down the stage, coughing and sputtering. “Th-that…” Cloud choked, rising to his feet, using his sword to steady himself. Link was smirking at him.  _ You think you’re clever, don’t you?  _

Cloud grit his teeth and flew at him again, this time swiping to the side as a distraction before jabbing right at his chest. However, he missed once again, as Link rolled behind him, this time grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and holding him right up to his face. “Shit!” he growled, as he felt his toes leave the ground. Link wasn’t much taller than he was, if at all, but still had the power to lift him above him, and then heave him to the ground with a grunt. “How are you getting around me?” Cloud hissed, jumping to his feet.

Link held a finger up from his sword, then arranged his shield to his back and sheathed his sword. He held his hands out once-- _ I’m not going to attack.-- _ then reassessed Cloud in his battle stance. He shuffled around him and held his hand out like a sword, slashing down, then spun around to his previous position. He mimicked slow motion, weaving around an imaginary attack, at the same time gently taking him by the collar again. His blue eyes steadied on Cloud.  _ Do you get it? _

“So...you dodge, and then while I’m still in the middle of an attack...grab the opponent,” he replied slowly. 

Link nodded enthusiastically. “Mm!” He brought his sword back out, dual handed, and jerked it toward himself.  _ Come on! _

“All right.” Cloud exhaled slow, and watched for his movement. Link lifted his sword high above his head, delayed obviously, but Cloud jumped at the opportunity, ducking low and scurrying under his sword. With one arm, he brought him into a chokehold from behind, just as Link had done to him, rendering him ineffective. Link turned his head toward him, even as his breathing sputtered, with a biting grin.  _ That was it then. That is pretty useful… _

He dropped him, and Link jumped back to his previous position, rubbing his neck a little.  _ Did he grab me that hard, too?  _ None the less, he jerked his sword again, beckoning him to try again.  _ I suppose the idea is to go all out--judging by yesterday, it seems there’s no lasting damage done to either of us.  _

This time, Link was quicker on the draw, giving two hard sword slashes forward instead of a single delayed one, barely nicking the side of his shoulder guard. Nonetheless, Cloud dodged, reaching for Link’s shoulder in order to do a front grab, and he managed to grasp him by his neck. He felt the grain of chainmail underneath the cloth layer of his tunic when he gripped it, although Link was heavier to lift than he imagined. Despite having him by the neck, Link grinned at him and managed to give him a thumbs up through his struggle. Cloud bit the side of his tongue.  _ Strange guy… _

He eased him down more gently this time, and Link hopped back, rolling his sword through his fingers. With one decisive nod, he grabbed his shield off his back and fixed it on his arm once again, readjusting the arm guard on his sword arm. “We’re fighting for real, now?” Cloud asked, readying his own sword.

Link nodded, and made a grabbing motion with his arm.  _ Yeah, yeah, use the thing he taught me.  _ “Wait, I have one more question--when we fight, what’s...the goal?” 

Link pointed to himself, then made a wild flinging motion with his hand, back behind his shoulder, then turned and pointed vigorously off the edge of the stage. Cloud glanced over it, and it seemed to have the same quality as the one from the day before: nothing but a bottomless abyss below them. “So...just try to knock each other off.”  _ That’s fair enough.  _

_ Let’s go. _

Cloud was first to move again, jabbing quick ahead, making Link jump back to dodge.  _ I know I want to use those grabs,  _ he thought as their swords met again and again, clashing together,  _ but hopefully he won’t abuse them.  _ In his thoughts, he misstepped, allowing Link to give him a blow over his head, knocking him backward. The pain was there, but not as severe as he expected--a mild throbbing as he skidded to the ground, crouched on his feet.  _ If you can’t _

_ (die) _

_ get hurt, then you can fight without limits.  _

Link was rushing at him once again, and Cloud swiped the Buster Sword at his feet. Link wasn’t quite quick enough to dodge this time, falling to his knees.  _ Now’s my chance--!  _ He slashed, once, twice, three times, each blow heavier than the next, across Link’s shoulders, and the blows sent him flying upwards, nearly to the edge of the stage. He ran over to the edge, sword above his head, but Link was more than ready at him, plucking something from the back of his tunic and throwing it straight at him.  _ What?  _ He caught it in midair, round and hot, with a fuse at the end-- _ damn it, this is a--! _

The bomb exploded in his hand, knocking him backwards, sprawling on the ground. “You’re full of tricks, aren’t you?” Cloud commented, shaking his hand off (luckily, not his dominant hand). Link chuckled at this, but not before pulling something else from behind him and flinging it in the air.  _ Now what?  _ Looking up, it was a boomerang of some sort, creating a gust of wind in its wake. The small tornado, visible by the gravel it kicked up, pushing Cloud from behind with a force he couldn’t stand against, and he stumbled right up within sword’s reach. Link was ready, and one,  _ two  _ hard slashes sent him flying once again. Cloud’s body felt hot from pain, and while he was still mobile, every blow sent him flying further and further.  _ Damn it! I’ve got to pull it together--! _

This time, Link rushed at him, and Cloud managed to duck around his swipe, and at the very last second, grab him by the collar. “Gah!” Link cried. With a knee to the back, and a large swipe from behind, he sent Link sprawling to the ground, back at the ledge. As he started to stand, Cloud jabbed at him, once, twice, three times, and then performed a huge, overhead slash while Link was stunned. He spiralled into the air, falling just short of the ledge, but threw out a chain to hook himself back to the cliff, shimmying him up so he was hanging on by one hand. Cloud hovered over him, ready to push him off,

_ (...!) _

but he hesitated when he met Link’s eyes. They narrowed at him, and in the second of hesitation, he thrust himself back up onto the stage, thrusting with his shield at Cloud and hitting him in the stomach. “Oof!” he grunted, stumbling as Link regained his ground.  _ Shoot, this is an exercise, I shouldn’t be worried about _

_ (...Z…) _

_ h-his well being. He’ll end up okay no matter what.  _

_ (will he?) _

He gripped his sword with more determination than ever, and when Link came to strike him, he thrust it forward with all his might, launching him into the air.  _ Just one more--!  _ While he was still in the air, he jumped up and swung his sword from his feet all the way to the sky.  _ “Hah!”  _ he shouted. 

Link soared further into the sky, and at a certain point, a red flash of light exploded from the sky, and he was gone. He landed shortly, and blinked upwards, panting and searching the sky. “L-Link?” he said. Panic surged through him as he let the tip of his sword hit the ground in front of him.  _ Then...did I really-- _

A tap on his shoulder made him jump almost a foot in the air.  _ “Ah!”  _ he yelped, whipping around to see Link standing beside him, looking fresher than he did moments ago. “Wh--but I just sent you…”

Link pointed behind him, where a circular platform floated in the air for a moment, then rose up and disappeared. “So that’s what happens when you get knocked out?” Cloud asked, still short of breath. “You get...caught by something and sent back?”

He nodded, but his expression didn’t carry the same certainty. “I don’t know if I get it,” Cloud sighed, leaning on the hilt of his sword. “The rules of this world don’t really make--”

Suddenly, Link had his sword out, pointed directly at him with a fierce look in his eyes. “What...are you going to show me?” he asked.

Link took a deep breath, and answered him with three heavy blows with his sword, two across his chest, and one jab straight through him that sent him flying off the edge. The pain seared through him as he clutched his chest, watching the stage fade away in the distance. As he fell, he reached out to try and grab the ledge, but as it was just out of reach, he continued to fall, heart rising to his throat as adrenaline strangled his body.  _ “No! Wait!”  _ he cried, voice strangled as he dropped straight into the abyss below. Strangely enough, there was indeed a bottom, and he felt himself

_ shatter _

as he hit it, consumed with white light.

* * *

_ (“Are you having fun?  _

_ Don’t worry about us, Cloud… _

_ We’ll be fine.”) _

* * *

__

Returning to consciousness was like rising from a raging sea, as Cloud gasped as the rest of his surroundings came into focus. Blinking rapidly, he found that he was standing on the same platform that Link had pointed to, and Link was running over to it, concern draped over his face. 

Cloud stepped off the platform, his mind frazzled, but his body absent from the hot pain it had experience before he had gotten knocked off the stage. Link put a hand on his shoulder, but Cloud shoved it away. “I-I’m fine,” he insisted.  _ That voice...I know that voice. So kind, soft, and gentle. _

_ It was like I was in the Lifestream again. Then that was… _

_ A-Aerith… _

Link rubbed a thumb against his cheek, and held it up to him with a frown.  _ It’s wet.  _ Cloud rubbed his eyes with the back of his arm and shook his head. “It’s nothing. I’m fine. J-just a shock.” He even readied his sword in front of him, although it trembled in his hands. “We can fight some more.”

Link shook his head, and wandered to the left side of the stage, where another white lit portal door had appeared, and stood in front of it, sheathing his sword. Cloud huffed and did the same. “Fine, we won’t.” 

_ (“Cloud.”) _

He jerked as the voice echoed through his head, this time accompanied by an image.  _ Braided hair with a pink bow, green eyes, and a beautiful face. _

_ (she’s gone)  _

_ I...know.  _

Cloud forced his legs forward, suddenly filled with lead, with Link waiting for him at the door. He put a silent hand on his back as they made their way out, the faux Midgar churning behind them.

* * *

“The first KO is never pleasant,” Zelda said once they returned to the lobby. Cloud was seated on one of the couches (one of the few not centered around the TV--a fox and a bird of some kind were making loud conversation on that couch), while Link and Zelda pulled up chairs in front of him. “To put it bluntly, it is like a nightmare and waking up from it, condensed into a single moment.”

“Hm.” Cloud felt Link’s gaze upon him, but he wouldn’t meet it.

“It takes getting used to,” she continued, when he didn’t reply. “After a few rounds, it will not feel nearly as shocking.”

“Hope so,” Cloud sighed, his hands laced tight together in his lap.  _ Times like these I wish I really didn’t remember anything. The shock was bad enough.  _

Link suddenly leaned over and whispered into Zelda’s ear, yet he didn’t take his eyes off him. “He wants to know if you saw or heard anything.”

“I…”  _ How did he know?  _ He was oddly still in front of him, gloved hands tight on his knees.  _ Of...course he did. Not having to talk means he must be a lot more aware of everything.  _ “I heard a voice. O-of a friend.”

“I see,” Zelda said. Her smooth brow furrowed just slightly, just enough to notice. 

Link, on the other hand, nodded, grimacing. “Do you? When you...fall like that?” Cloud asked. 

He huffed, nodded, and then swiped his finger across his neck. “You did...but not anymore?” he guessed.

“You’re surprisingly adept at reading Link,” Zelda commented, a bare smirk on her face. “Like I said, the more it happens, the less jarring it will be.” She stood up and smoothed out her dress. “If I were you, I would get some food and more rest, while you can afford to.”

“I’ll try,” Cloud replied, standing up as well. “What about you?”

“I am needed elsewhere,” she replied, and with a small bow, she excused herself, heading out the portal on the opposite end of the lobby.

Link had stood up as well, and after she had disappeared, he tugged on his arm, gesturing with his head back the opposite way, toward the dorms. “Sure,” he muttered, following behind as Link led the way.

While they traversed the hallways, Cloud let his body go into auto pilot while he stewed in thought.  _ Even after the fact, even after hearing her voice...I can’t quite remember what she said. It’s like it’s...faded already.  _ He scowled at the ground, his jaw clenched.  _ These are things I’m not supposed to forget, people I cared about. And yet...everything just seems to fade here. _

_ If I did get out, would things go back to normal?  _

_ And yet… _

They reached their room, and Link immediately threw off his sword, his shield, and kicked off his boots at his dresser. Cloud did the same, more careful with his sword, and slid the straps of his suspenders off his shoulders. A familiar ache accompanied them being free, and he rolled them back as he slid off his boots.  _ No one here seems to want to get out. In fact, people seem eager to be here, eager to fight for fun.  _ He shook his head.  _ It’s odd. I’m not used to it. _

When he looked up, Link was right in front of him, much closer than he’d ever been prior. “W-what?” Cloud said, leaning his head back.

Link chuckled, then moved his head closer to his ear. “Good job today,” he murmured.

His eyes grew wide. Link’s voice wasn’t quite what he expected--it was older sounding than he anticipated, but light all the same; slower in its delivery, but earnest, appreciative, kind. And at the same time, its tone seemed oddly familiar to Cloud, as if he were coming home. “Th-thanks,” he stammered, oddly light-headed.

Link smiled at him and patted him on the back, before disappearing into the bathroom, right beside the bunk-beds, and shutting the door behind him.  _ He spoke to me,  _ Cloud thought, wide-eyed still as he plopped on his bunk, rolling over the words he’d said to him in his memory. 

_ (“I’m sure if he were to trust you, you may be able to hear from him.”) _

He put a hand over his mouth in thought, dragging it down over his chin.  _ I wonder if I can hold onto that memory for a little while. If it’s made here, it should stay.  _ His eyes wandered over to Link’s discarded shield, its crest gleaming in the light.  _ It would be one good memory to keep, at least. _


	3. Phase 3

The next day, Cloud woke up with a piece of paper on his chest:

_“Cloud--_  
_All-Star Challenge today!_  
 _We fight everyone in groups with short breaks in between. We lose if either of us get KO’d, so we have to fight hard! Don’t worry, I’ve got your back._  
 _Meet me in the lobby when you’re ready to go._  
 _\--Link.”_

He yawned and tossed the paper onto his pillow, swinging his feet over the bed. _We have to do challenges?_ He thought, scratching behind his neck. _Should've figured. This is some kind of fighting tournament place, after all._

When he put his weight on his feet to stand up, something rolled under his left leg. “Shit!” he exclaimed, falling back to the bed. _What the…_

He peered down to see what had tripped him up, and found a round, red apple rolling on the hardwood floor. _Oh. Link must've left that._ Cloud picked it up, tossing it in his hand. _For me?_ He took a bite, the sweet flesh of the fruit flooding his taste buds, and reminding him that he was actually hungry. _Oh, well. Wouldn't hurt to get down there._

He set the apple aside and pulled off the t-shirt he slept in (he discovered the bottom drawer of his dresser was filled with more casual, “civilian” clothing), replacing it with his standard, sleeveless uniform. As he pulled on his pants, readjusting the suspenders, his eye caught the ribbon on the top of the dresser. _I think...I know what that's for now._

He grabbed it and tied it in a bow on his arm before leaving the dorm.

* * *

 

As promised, Link was waiting for him in the cafeteria side of the lobby, today sporting a tray of pancakes almost as tall as his head. “Hey,” Cloud greeted, holding up the apple. “Thanks for this.”

He waved and nodded enthusiastically back before diving back into his breakfast. Cloud, on the other hand, chewed on his apple, eyes scanning the entire area. “Where is everyone, anyway?” he asked. “There's no one out here today.”

Link swallowed, then pointed to Cloud and himself, then out to the main door at the front of the hall. “Uh...they're waiting for us?” he guessed. _He still won't talk all the time._

_(“Good job today.”)_

_Is it only for special occasions? Just a one time thing?_ He frowned as he took another bite. _I'll have to see._

Link replied with a muted affirmative, pushing the half cleaned plate toward Cloud. There were still a sizable amount of pancakes on it, and even some strawberries on the side. “Hm? No, this’ll be enough,” he replied.

Link huffed and pounded the table, rattling the fork as he forced it toward him again. “Really! I'm...used to this,” he insisted with a sigh. “I’m an ex-SOLDIER, I'll be fine.”

With a tilt back and forth with his head, Link sighed and circled around the other side of the table to sit right beside Cloud, almost knee to knee. He pulled out a piece of paper from inside his tunic and unfurled it in front of them. It appeared to be a chart of some kind, hand scrawled, with “ALL STAR” written in big letters at the top. _Has he always had this? Or did he make it with me in mind?_

Groups of names that Cloud didn't recognize were circled in bubbles, connected by lines to each other. Between each group of names, there was a small box that said “Break!” connecting to the next group. Some of the names he recognized--Lucina was in the first group ( _That plucky princess with the blue hair,_ he thought), while Zelda was in one of the later ones. _Wonder if it’s ordered by strength._ “So, we fight seven groups of fighters, and if we beat them all, then we win?” he asked.

Link nodded once again. But, he made a small platform with one palm, standing two fingers on it with the other, then flung them up in the air. After, he made a slashing motion over his throat, sticking his tongue out. “R-right,” Cloud said, suppressing a chuckle. “If we get knocked out, we lose.” He reached behind his back, instinctively to run his fingers over the handle of his sword, when his hand grasped at nothing. “Shoot, I need to go get my sword,” he replied.

“Mm,” Link replied, standing up. _Oh, he’s coming with me._ After a quick nod, they walked back down to the dorms. _Seems like a test of endurance more than anything,_ he thought as he grabbed his sword from under his bed, adjusting its holster on his back. Link also retrieved his shield and forearm guard, making his own adjustments. _Shouldn’t be anything I can’t handle._ He watched Link flex his hands in his gloves, patting himself down before nodding and strolling out ahead of Cloud. _Not sure about him, but…_

_...we’ll see._

* * *

 

_“HEYYAH!”_

Link sent a robed sorcerer flying into the starry sky of the stage, growling and panting as he ran back to Cloud. _Damn it, this is harder than I expected,_ he thought, out of breath himself and whirling back around. “There’s one more, isn’t there?” he said.

“Over here.”

Lucina posed with her sword briefly, taunting before charging at Cloud, dark eyes blazing. “It’s time to see how you truly fight!” she cried. _“Ah--!”_

She was knocked back a second before making contact, thanks to an arrow flying from Link’s bow behind him. In the moment she stumbled back, stunned, he made his move, performing five well timed slashes all across her chest, making her fly back even further.

Cloud pursued her, running with his sword above him, but upon slashing it forward, she dodged, making him slide to the edge of the stage. The borders, while there was no bottomless pit, were hazy and blurry, like a mirrored mirage. _I need to get back…_

When he spun around, Lucina was right behind him sword raised. Each of her motions were poised and light, as if she were dancing rather than fighting. Slice, spin, slice, Cloud only barely able to dodge her quick sword swipes. “I have you cornered,” she said, a wry grin on her face. “If you take any further steps, you’ll back out of bounds.”

He could almost hear the shimmer of the edge of the stage at his back, and it gave off an odd heat, as if touching it would burn him. Gritting his teeth, he jabbed his sword forward; even as he missed, he managed to slide around her, but got caught by the broad edge of her sword in the process.

“Your footwork needs practice,” Lucina stated, jabbing at him again. A minute glance at her own feet proved that she was constantly on her toes, constantly in motion. However, she was caught off balance by another blow. _“Gh!_ Link--!”

He had fired another arrow at her back, and charged ahead, sword out and eyes narrowed. Cloud held his sword out with its broadest side across him like a shield, and caught the spark of a bomb in Link’s shield hand. _He’s going to try and ambush her._ She turned toward Link, pulling her sword back to ready a powerful jab, but as she did, her back was to Cloud. _Now’s my chance--!_

He tossed his sword in his hands, holding more like a baseball bat, and threw all of his weight into issuing a mighty blow, aimed right at her core. Link met his eyes an instant before impact, and rolled his bomb at her feet. A gasp from her was all they heard before she skyrocketed upwards, disappearing in an explosion of red and white light. “That...that’s it?” Cloud huffed, sheathing his sword.

Link held out one finger, then beckoned him to a portal door that had appeared at the edge of the stage. _That wasn’t...so bad,_ he thought as he was engulfed with white light. The area they entered looked more like an open air arena, complete with banners and grandstands, but the entire place was empty. Instead, there was another portal door sitting on a small platform, and beside it were a set of curious looking items: a large tomato, a glass bottle with a glowing, fluttering red object inside, and three heart shaped containers, jewel like in quality and ornamented in gold. “What are those?” he asked.

Link patted his chest heartily. _What?_ In response, Cloud tilted his head, raising an eyebrow. He huffed, tapping his foot in thought, and then made a cross motion with his fingers. Cloud shook his head again. With that, Link walked right next to him and muttered into his ear. “Health,” he said.

A shiver ran down his neck. “Oh,” he replied. _That’s the second time he’s spoken to me._ Link looked him over, pondering, then pointed to the items and shook his head. “Don’t take any?” Cloud clarified. “They need to last for all the rounds, right.” _And there are still six more to go._

_I should just try not to use any of them, last as long as I can._ He rolled his shoulders, breathing deeply, his body lacking the painful hotness that seemed to accompany heavy damage from fighting. “Well? Do we move on now, or what?”

Link nodded, hopping onto the second platform, and offering him his hand. Cloud didn’t take it, instead jumping up to it in one leap. Link bit his lip, shaking his head before entering the white portal door, and Cloud followed suit.

* * *

 

Two rounds later, Link and Cloud stumbled back through the portal into the waiting area. Cloud was fuming with damage, heat and pain coursing through him, and from what he could tell, Link looked the same way, slashes all over his tunic and scuff marks on his face. “That was...rough,” he panted, struggling to stand up straight. “Who was that...person covered in wrappings? They seemed to target you specifically.”

Link nodded, pointed to his chest, then his head, and then made a backwards motion with the same finger. “You know them from...before?” _From his own world, maybe._ Link made a small noise of agreement, then looked Cloud over carefully. After, he grabbed the tomato and the bottle that were still on the opposite side of the next portal and brought them over, holding it out to him. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to have a small fairy inside, with glittering wings.

Cloud shook his head. “Go ahead. I don’t need it,” he said, even as his body screamed at him, muscles aching. _I can hold out._

Link narrowed his eyes and continued to hold out the bottle. “Save it for when you really need it,” he insisted, physically pushing Link’s arm out of the way. “I can manage.”

He growled and forced it out one more time, nearly shoving it in his face. “Stop it! I can take care of myself--”

Cloud’s sentence fell short when Link tossed both healing items in one hand, jerked him forward, and smacked him in the face. The impact wasn’t as sharp as it could have been, given his gloves, but the effect remained, leaving Cloud wide-eyed. “Reckless!” Link whispered in his ear, hissing with frustration. “You _need_ to last the rest of the time! Just take it--!”

It was the most words he had ever heard him speak, and when Link thrust the bottle in his hands, making his fingers cup around it, he didn’t fight it. _Why does he care so much? He’s been checking on me the whole time, too._ He watched as Link bit into the tomato, turning his back to him, and saw the fabric of his tunic stitch together before his eyes. _I suppose it’s because both of us need to see the end of this tournament._

_(or is it something else?)_

Shaking his head, he popped off the cork of the bottle, and the fairy inside immediately sprung out, It darted in front of his face for a moment, then circled his entire body, from his boots up to the top of his spiked hair. A cool rush swept over him and as soon as the fairy disappeared, his body relaxed and the pain dissolved like sugar in water. As he stretched his arms out, Link eyed him, hands on his hips. “Yeah, I feel better,” Cloud sighed, resigned.

He grinned, even with a little giggle, and hopped up to the platform and disappeared into the portal. _He might as well have just said “I told you so”,_ he thought, puffing out his cheeks as he followed quickly behind, more spring in his step than before.

The stage they appeared on seemed to be part of an airship, a sunset sky laid out before them, clouds whirling past beyond the platform. As soon as Cloud entered, Link pulled him close. Three figures appeared on the stage--a fox in a futuristic uniform, a blue bird wearing a similar outfit, and a round creature in a mask brandishing a sword. “They’re really fast,” Link muttered into his ear, before jumping ahead of him.

Cloud nodded in reply, but before he could even hold his sword in front of him, the sword user was already at his feet, jabbing him abruptly. _“Shoot!”_ he shouted, shielding in an attempt to dispel the onslaught. The fox wasn’t far behind, shooting a laser gun of sorts to weaken his shield. _Ugh, what did Link’s sheet say these guys were? Fox, Falco, and Metaknight._ His eyes darted around the stage--Link had occupied himself with what Cloud assumed to be Falco, playing him at his own game by jabbing aggressively. _I’ll have to be more aggressive, too._

He dove forward, slashing a combo at Metaknight _(The fox must be…”Fox”. Convenient.),_ which he got caught up in, but shielded at the last second. Metaknight flew upward with large, bat-like wings, then came spiralling down, Cloud only able to dodge it at the last second. In the seconds that Metaknight was recovering, he reached out and grabbed him, easy to do because of his small stature and weight, and flung him across the stage, closer to Link. Link himself had all three of the fast foes at him, but as they lunged themselves upon him, he spun his sword around in a circle rapidly, launching Falco and Metaknight off the stage, but leaving Fox hanging by the ledge.

“Looks like you’ve still got it, Link,” Fox said, hoisting himself up. “I’m going to have to-- _kuh!”_

Cloud slashed his sword forward, and although he was just out of reach from hitting Fox with the tip of his blade, instead a blade of green light rocketed from his sword, throwing him off the ledge again. “Hah!” Link cheered, clapping his shoulder once before drawing an arrow. _I’m not even at my Limit yet, but that was definitely a Blade Beam._ Link squinted at Fox, flying through the air, and shot an arrow with spectacular aim, grabbing him in the chest and continuing his descent into the abyss below. _My power must be greater here._ “So, those were the fast ones?” Cloud asked.

“Hey, you forgot one!”

A cocky, nasally voice echoed above him, and Cloud glanced up just in time as a spinning blue ball came careening down upon them. Link dodged, rolling back, but Cloud was not as lucky, getting spines driving through his leg. _“Agh,_ who are you?” he exclaimed, sword out.

The ball unfurled into a hedgehog of sorts, clad in red shoes and white gloves. _At least, I_ think _that’s a hedgehog…_ “Sonic’s my name, speed’s my game,” he replied, winking. “Think you can catch me, hot shot?”

_Oh, boy._ Cloud glanced behind him, where Link was busy fending off a round, pink character and an oversized penguin. _Looks like I’ve got to deal with this one._ Cloud grunted and slashed his sword forward, but when he looked down after his blow, the hedgehog was nowhere to be found. Until he felt a tap on his shoulder. “Gotcha!” Sonic said, and kicked him in the back.

Down he went, skidding on the platform, but he gathered his feet quickly beneath him. “You snooze, you lose, buddy!” Sonic taunted, sticking his tongue out as he darted around the stage, a blur on the field. “C’mon, what’s holding you up?”

Cloud grit his teeth as he ran circles around him. _He’s fast, and small._ He breathed out slow through his nose and gripped his sword in an attempt to focus. _If I can just...get him once…_

With no warning from his body language, Cloud jabbed forward, catching Sonic on his rounds and slashing him backwards. _There!_ He slashed him again, then again, and before he could start running, Cloud dodged around him and grabbed him by the back of his spines. “Oh, I think I can keep up,” he said, tossing the hedgehog up into the air and putting all his weight into his blade like a baseball bat and sending him flying off into the sunset. _That takes care of that. Now there’s just--_

_“Ee-shyaa!”_

The impact against his back caught him off guard, sending him flying past the edge of the platform and out into the open air. _“HuuuuAH!”_ Link could be heard loud and clear from the stage, and as Cloud reached out for the ledge, he caught a pink streak flying across the sky from the corner of his eye. _Is that what knocked me off? That pink thing?_

_I can almost grab it...almost...please…_

His fingers stretched as long as they could, but they barely grazed the ledge before gravity began to pull him downwards. “No!” he shouted, flailing.

As he did, however, a metal chain flung over the side, and Cloud snatched it with one hand, sword in the other. The orange sky swirled below him, and his stomach turned. _That was close._ The end of the chain had a claw mechanism on it, and at the top of the ledge shortly above him, was Link, sighing with relief. The hand holding the chain was shaking, but he still offered his hand to help hoist him up. After a couple attempts trying to get himself up with just the chain, he took it, Link’s strength bringing him back on solid ground. Cloud sprawled out on his knees, regaining his center of gravity, while Link fell back, staring up into the clouds.

“Thanks,” Cloud mumbled, clearing his throat as the adrenaline in his heart began to subside. “That’s all of them, right? The portal’s open…”

Link nodded and retracted his chain, tucking it back in his belt under his tunic. “C’mon,” he said quietly, rising from his knees, and offering his hand once again. _“Have each other’s backs”, huh._ Cloud took it once again, holding it a little longer than previously, before they walked into the glowing portal door. _There was someone else_

_(...)_

_that was there for me like that, wasn’t there?_

_Was there?_

* * *

 

Cloud panted as they stumbled back through the portal door, his bones aching, small streaks of blood trickling down his shoulders. “Just...one more...right?” he asked, bent over to catch his breath.

Link didn’t reply right away, his own tunic covered in tears, and a cut right above his eye, dried blood to the side of his face. Cloud followed his gaze past the last door they were to take over to where the healing items were. Only one, glass heart container remained. _We both have a lot of damage on us,_ he thought, gritting his teeth. _I’m not going to lose right when we’re at the very end. We’ve come so far._

Link slowly made his way over to the heart container, picking it up daintily in both hands. He looked over himself, and then Cloud, before turning around fully and holding it out to him.

“You want me to take it?” Cloud said.

Link nodded, and gave him a thumbs up. _He has a lot of damage too, but apparently I’m worse off. Is it that obvious?_ His head pounded as he reached for the heart container. _Ugh, maybe I do…_

As soon as it touched his hands, it glowed bright red and then vanished, and the familiar coolness of healing washed over his body. “You should stay back, then,” Cloud said. “Use...your arrows or something. We can’t afford to get knocked out now.”

He nodded affirmatively, bouncing on his toes, although Cloud noticed that he forced his forehead to relax. _He’s hurting too._

_Let’s make this quick._

The two of them jumped through the portal at the same time, and the scenery greeted them with a boxing ring, the outer perimeters fading to each side in the same, hazy mirage Cloud recognized from their first battle. _I’ll have to try and push them to the edge._

Their first contestants to appear were Luigi _(I didn’t know he actually fought,_ he marvelled), a man of shorter stature, but very similar looking to him, and a round, yellow creature, with huge eyes and a disconcerting grin. _That other one...that must be that “Mario” the others were talking about. I don’t know about the other one, but…_

Link already positioned himself on the ropes of the ring, a quarry of arrows tucked in his shield hand, ready to fire. _I’ve got to be aggressive--!_

Cloud lunged forward, slashing toward Luigi first, hitting him with the brunt of his sword so hard that he flung toward the very far side of the stage. He followed up quickly, feeling the heat of the mirage as he slashed him backwards, backwards, backwards until the barrier consumed him in a flash of reddish, white light. _One down._

Mario, on the other hand, was quick to spot Link perching, and he was firing arrows as fast as he could to hold him back. Cloud snuck up behind him and launched him upward, up through to the light fixture near the very top of the stage. Cloud bounced on the ropes to clamber up top to face him head on.

“Master Hand said you’d-a be a great fit,” Mario said, sporting a strange accent Cloud couldn’t recognize. “I wasn’t sure if it’d be possible to even get you here.”

Mario punched hard into Cloud’s stomach, nearly knocking him off the fixture. The lights flickered, sparks flying from the bulbs. _I have to keep this quick, so I don’t leave him alone long enough to get launched--!_

He narrowed his eyes and focused on his sword, slicing a Blade Beam at Mario, knocking him off balance. _Now, one good upward hit…!_ He twisted his grip on his sword, and rushed ahead, slashing once upward, and again slightly ahead. Mario wailed as he soared off the stage, vanishing out of sight.

As Cloud regained his position, the fixture wobbled precariously underneath him. _This thing is going to fall pretty soon._ Looking up, he spotted the last remaining wires that held the structure up. _Might as well._ He smashed his sword against them, and with a creak, the huge metal cage of lights came wailing down into the center of the ring. It rattled and hit the floor with an enormous crashing sound, and with it, two streaks went careening off into different directions, disappearing from the stage. _Shoot! I hope that wasn’t Link--_

He whirled around, and found Link waving to him from the other side of the ropes. He raised two fingers to his lips and whistled wildly through them. _Guess it was a nice move, huh?_ He chuckled to himself as the last fighter dropped from the ceiling.

He was rugged and stocky, donning boxing gloves and clearly ready for the arena he had dropped in on. _A boxer for a boxing ring, of course._ He had a gleam of determination in his eye that

_(...)_

reminded him of something just out of his reach. _Damn, I hate these gaps in my head._ He sighed and readjusted the grip on his sword. _Last one, let’s get this over with._

The man readied a punch, but was immediately thwarted by one of Link’s arrows, jabbing him in the arm. He grunted and brushed it off, managing to land a misaimed jab at Cloud’s shoulder. He swung his sword from the other direction, but he dodged effectively, spinning around him and punching him in the back of the head. Cloud tried to ignore the dizziness that accompanied it, slashing wildly and only managing to skin the back of his shins as he regained steadiness. _He’s quick on his feet, that’s for sure._

He was making an immediate run for Link, but Link was equally quick on the draw, throwing out arrows as soon as he could equip them, pushing him further and further away. Thanks to this, Cloud managed to throw a slice against his back, launching him into the ropes and bouncing him backwards across the ring. _Just a little bit more, come on, come on--!_

The boxer steadied himself against the ropes, wiping spit and blood from his mouth. His footwork was agile, bouncing from left to right, and Cloud found it difficult to predict where he was going to punch. Or, if he was going to at all. _He’s waiting for me to make a move,_ he thought. _I just have to--_

Suddenly, the boxer stretched his arm back, seeming to gather huge power, and threw his fist forward, aiming right for Cloud’s neck. He barely managed to duck around it, but the force of the punch sent the boxer wildly behind him. Cloud whipped around, and saw that he was heading straight for Link. _Shoot!_ Worse, Link was looking dizzy on his feet, standing just outside of the ropes, weaving with his shield in front of him. _One solid hit, and--_

The boxer was preparing another, heat filled blow, and Cloud burst into a sprint. “No, no you _don’t!”_ he grunted, using the ropes to gain some air to land between them. Link’s eyes were unfocused, and adrenaline pumped through Cloud as his boots hit the ground in front of him.

_(“ZACK!”)_

_“LINK!”_

Cloud roared, holding his sword out to absorb the punch, then swung it around with as much strength as he could muster. The force and momentum of it sent the boxer careening into the air, exploding in a flash of red and white. Cloud’s hands shook on the hilt of his sword as silence engulfed the arena. “That’s...that’s the last one,” he muttered. He sheathed his sword and turned toward Link, who had already put away his own, as well as shouldered his shield on his back. “We...we did it.”

Link still carried that unfocused look on his face, but he smiled regardless. “Yeah,” he whispered. Soon after, he weaved, and began to crumble toward the floor to his knees.

“Hey, hey--” Cloud immediately went to his side, standing him upright and positioning one of his arms around his own shoulder, so he could help him out. “We’ve got to get you fixed up.”

Link’s head dropped toward the floor, but he still made an effort to drag his feet in step with Cloud’s to head out through the portal that had appeared behind them, just before the edge of the stage. _You fought really hard, Link. And...you were right._

_You did have my back the whole time…_

When they entered through the portal, teleporting them back to the lobby, they were greeted with a wave of shouts and cheers. All of the fighters were gathered in the foyer, among the front row were Zelda, Lucina, and Mario himself.

“Congratulations, you two,” Zelda said. “Some of those battles looked a little too close at the end for my liking, but you made it through.”

“You were watching?” Cloud asked, readjusting Link against his shoulder.

“We all get to, once our matches are over,” she replied.

She was soon pushed aside by a bouncy Lucina, immediately sticking her hand out. “Congratulations on your first All-Star run!” she exclaimed, grabbing Cloud’s hand and shaking it. She reached for Link’s, but it was a very weak hold on his part. “Oh--! Sorry, Link. You must be pretty worn out!”

He nodded, chuckling a little as he propped his head up against Cloud’s shoulder.

“You two should be proud. Not everyone gets through it their first try,” she said.

The commotion was beginning to make Cloud feel claustrophobic, the buzzing and attention chewing at what little energy he had left. “Th-thanks,” he mumbled, eyes darting around for a feasible path out of the crowd.

“Hey, do you think we could have lunch sometime?” Lucina asked, shifting her weight between her feet. “We could discuss techniques, and--”

“N-not right now,” Cloud interrupted, his curt tone causing her face to fall. “Look, we’re just really tired, and--”

“O-oh, no, don’t worry!” she scrambled, bowing a little. “W-we can catch up later! Congratulations, again!”

She darted through the crowd, disappearing just as abruptly as she appeared. _She’s something,_ he thought.

Mario finally caught his eye. “We would usually have a trophy ceremony,” he said, eyes drifting to Link. “But in this-a case, I think it’d be best for you two to get some-a rest.”

“Thanks a lot,” Cloud replied, relief flooding him. _Thank gods. I don’t know if I could suffer through that._ He nudged Link, still using him as head support. “C’mon, let’s go.”

As they weaved through the crowd, various cheers echoed through the hallway at them:

“Congrats!”

“Yeah, awesome job, guys!”

_“Woo!_ Go, Link!”

“You were amazing, Cloud!”

“Not bad, for a newcomer…”

“Congratulations, Link and Cloud!”

The sounds only disappeared when they got to the hallways of the dorms. Cloud pushed the door open, feeling the heaviness of exhaustion beginning to cloak him as well. “Here,” he said, gently shrugging Link aside. “That was a really...intense fight.”

Link occupied himself by shrugging off all his equipment, from his hat right down to his boots, until he was in nothing but his tan under-clothes. He rubbed his eyes as he nudged the pile of clothes over toward his dresser, shield and all, before coming back to Cloud. As he was taking his own sword and shoulder guard off, Link put his hand on his shoulder, leaning heavily on it. “Cloud,” he muttered.

_That’s the first time he’s said my name, isn’t it?_ “Y-yeah?”

Link smirked. “You did...really good today.” His voice kept the same soft, gentle tone, despite his utter exhaustion.

“So did you.” Cloud tried desperately to match it, but found himself too caught up in the sound of Link’s that it paled in comparison. “G-go get some rest.”

He nodded, wandered over to the ladder, then shook his head and flopped face down on Cloud’s bunk. _Oh._ He soon readjusted and curled up on the inside, next to the wall, and immediately, his chest showed the steady rise and fall of sleep.

Cloud sighed and kicked his boots off, shaking his head. _Looks like we’re switching beds, or something._ He undid his suspenders and stripped down to his briefs, picking up the shirt he wore from sleep the night before from the foot of his dresser. His arms ached to put it on, and he found he could barely put it over his head because of his fatigue. _I’m more tired than I thought. No wonder he didn’t want to climb up._ He reached up for a pillow from Link’s bunk, ignoring the screaming in his shoulder, and tossed it down to the floor, curling up beside the bed. _Whatever, I’ll sleep on the floor._

_(wouldn’t be the first time)_

His eyes rested on Link’s sleeping form. _Maybe it won’t be so bad living here, after all._

* * *

 

Lucina sat down on the couch with a sigh. “So?” a tall, blonde woman dressed in robotic armor asked, easing down beside her. “How did it go?” Others milled around them, talking loudly, making her have to raise her voice to be heard.

“Not good,” she huffed. “I don’t think he likes me…”

“I don’t think that’s true,” she replied, taking a sip of a bubbly drink. “You’re always so eager to please.”

“Samus! I can’t help it!” she exclaimed, tapping her boots on the floor. “I just want to make a good first impression. He seems really good at what he does…”

“I’m sure he is, otherwise Master Hand wouldn’t have brought him here.” She ruffled her long, blue hair and leaned back. “They looked pretty beat, anyway. I wouldn’t expect too much out of ‘em tonight.”

“That’s true.” She leaned slightly against her shoulder. “What about tomorrow? Maybe then I could--”

“We’ll see how he’s feeling,” Samus said. “Cloud _just_ got here. Give him some time to ease into the swing of things.”

“Fine.” Lucina crossed her arms, pouting just slightly.

“I’m a little jealous,” Samus remarked, side eyeing her. “I don’t remember you being _that_ interested in me when you first got here.”

Lucina’s face burned red. “I-I was overwhelmed! There are so many competitors here, and I--”

“Or, will you just pour over anyone tall, blonde, and handsome?” Her voice took on a teasing lilt, poking her cheek. “Actually, I take that back. He isn’t that tall at all.”

“N-not compared to you…” Lucina mumbled, shrinking into the couch.

Samus chuckled and kissed her cheek. “Sweetie, I’m teasing you,” she said. “Let’s let the boys rest and get something to drink.” She stood up, towering over most of those around her, and held out her hand to Lucina. “My little knight.”

“Mmm.” Lucina took it gingerly, and once she stood, laced her fingers in with her hand, walking close by her side as they left the couch.


	4. Phase 4

Cloud expected an incredibly stiff neck come morning, but was surprised to find himself tucked into his own bed.  _ I thought for sure I was on the floor… _ Sure enough, one of Link’s pillows was still there, but the owner of it was nowhere in sight. Dawn trickled in through the wide open window, casting yellow light against the closed door.  _ He sure is an early riser. Might as well head down.  _

He stretched and threw on some clothes, sans armor--despite not sleeping on the floor the entire night, the strenuous activity from the day before had caught up to him. It made anything heavier than cloth unappealing to carry around.  _ Besides, it’s only breakfast.  _

The main hall had returned to its normal, slow, early morning bustle, and Cloud spotted Link in his usual spot, Zelda at his side. “Morning,” she greeted. “Hope you got your rest.”

“Yeah, mostly,” he replied. For some reason, Link made a point to bury himself behind his plate of food, avoiding his eyes. Cloud tilted his head in confusion. “Hey, Link?”

Zelda giggled behind her hand. “Oh, that’s right. Link is sorry for making you sleep on the floor,” she said, patting him on the shoulder. Link made a small groaning noise.

“It’s not a big deal,” Cloud replied with a smirk, keeping an eye on Link. “I was on the bed this morning--”

“I wonder who put you there,” Zelda said, with a bare wink.

“Mmm.” 

Link popped out, a little relieved, and leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms up high with a grunt.  _ He’s not wearing his chain mail,  _ Cloud observed, noticing its absence underneath his green tunic.  _ Wonder what we’re doing today, then… _

“I hear you two have the day off,” Zelda said. She took a sip of tea. “You should go to the Library, or the Trophy Room.”

“Mm!” Link exclaimed, before cupping his hand to her ear. Cloud crossed his arms.  _ He’s spoken to me before, but he won’t do it in front of others. Or, maybe it’s just because I’m not close enough.  _ They were sitting across the table from each other, making it a hassle to whisper.  _ He does make the whole ordeal pretty...intimate.  _ Cloud rolled his shoulders back

_ (“Cloud…”) _

in an effort to ignore the shiver going down his back.  _ Ah. _

“Yes, I know, but he’s not your...our enemy, anymore,” Zelda replied. She didn’t seemed to be convinced herself. “No matter how menacing he appears.”

Link tilted his head back and forth, the tail of his hat mimicking the motion, and he just shrugged, then looked back over at Cloud. He gestured over to himself, then created a sort of statue in his hands before standing up. “So, the Trophy Room, then?” he said.

He nodded, circling quickly around the table and attempting to lift Cloud up by one arm. “Ow, hey, easy,” he protested, pushing the chair back with a screech to get up. “C’mon, I’m still sore from yesterday…”

“Take it slow today,” Zelda advised, amusement dancing in her eyes, even if the rest of her face was still like marble. “Enjoy some of the sights before you fight again.”

“Yeah, sure,” Cloud replied. “What are you doing, then?”

“Me?” She elongated her arms out in front of her, hands laced together so her fingers could stretch. “Probably some target practice on the dummies in the courtyard. I need to work on my magic.”

“Ah, sounds--” he started, but was nagged by Link tugging on his arm. “All right, I’m coming!” He shrugged him off as Link covered his face, giggling. Cloud frowned and crossed his arms. “Knock it off, will you?”  _ You think you’re something… _

“Go on, we can catch up later,” Zelda said with a small wave. “Link, don’t give him a hard time.”

He stuck out his tongue at her before waving, then put his hand on Cloud’s back and guided him out through the living room.  _ He’s a lot more...playful than I initially thought.  _ He tilted his head away from him to get a better look at his face. He caught sight of things he hasn’t noticed before, like how his nose had a light dusting of freckles, or that this side of his cheek had a small dimple. 

“Yo, Link!” A tanned, blonde haired character reached his strange, red sword across the couch he was sitting on and across two of them, gently stopping them in their tracks. Link let go of Cloud’s back to circle around him, with a little wave. “Roy and I were going to do a little Smash Run, give a little blast through the labyrinth. Wanna come?” 

Link shook his head, gesturing ahead of him and pointing to Cloud. “Oh, gonna show the new guy around, yeah?” he said, then reached his hand over the couch to him. “I’m Shulk, by the way. Nice work, yesterday! Didn’t get to clash swords with you much, but you were lookin’ pretty sharp!” 

“Thanks,” Cloud replied with a nod.  _ Oh yeah, I...kind of remember him. I think Link was the one who got the most contact, though.  _

“Well, you lads have fun,” Shulk said, settling back on the couch. “We’ll find a third, no worries.”

Link nodded and continued to stroll out through the foyer, Cloud a little behind.  _ I didn’t think that he had friends here before I got here,  _ he thought as they exited through a heavy, dark wooden door.  _ Obviously, I wouldn’t be his  _ only _ friend, we’re just roommates… _

Cloud suddenly noticed he was a few steps ahead of him, down a red carpeted hallway with dim lighting. “Hm?” he said.

Link tilted his head, holding his hand out to the side. “Huh? It’s nothing,” Cloud said. “Where are you taking me, again?”

He pointed ahead of him, and they continued down through the hall, until the halls became lined with enormous display cases, chock full of colorful statues on golden stands. “This...is a trophy gallery?” he said, gawking around. The cases were stacked all the way to the ceiling, and more doors were lined between cases, the hallway going on seemingly forever. Link let him gawk for a moment, then led him to a door that had a peculiar emblem on it--three triangles, pieced together so that they formed another, larger triangle. He grinned and pushed Cloud inside.

This room was cozy, perhaps encouraged by the dark wood and lush, deep green carpets, and was also chock full of trophy cases, each of them brimming with colorful statues. Link brought him over to the case immediately next to the door, where he emphatically pointed to a statue of...himself. “Hey, not bad,” Cloud remarked, as Link mimicked the pose the statue made, complete with the expression. Scanning the shelf, he saw a couple variations, plus a statue of Zelda, looking regal, as usual.  _ Are there statues of all of us here? I wonder-- _

Before he could mention it, Link dragged him over to another case, and pointed to a horse, deep mahogany and majestic, rearing its body on its hind legs. “That’s Epona,” he whispered in his ear, excitement piercing in his consonants. “We used to ride all over...Hyrule together.”

“Is that where you’re from?” Cloud asked. 

Link nodded slowly, as if unsure. He moved on, pointing to a different trophy. This one was of  a rock-like, trollish creature, with beady eyes and a rotund body. “That’s one of the Gorons,” Link said. His voice barely rose above a whisper, and he always spoke close to Cloud’s ear. His breath tickled the hairs on the back of his neck. “They seem scary at first, but they’re pretty relaxed. They always call you ‘brother’.”

He chuckled, squinting at the figure. “You seem to remember a lot about where you’re from,” Cloud remarked.  _ I’m a little envious, actually. Even when I try… _

_ (...) _

_...I don’t get anywhere.  _

Link opened his mouth, then bit his lip. “What’s wrong?” Cloud asked. 

His eyes fell toward the floor, and he weaved back and forth, shifting his weight between his feet. Cloud crossed his arms as he floundered, an eyebrow raised. Link replied by pointing to himself, then shaking his head. He then spread his arms above his head, gesturing to the whole room, ending with pointing specifically to his temple, and making a slashing motion with his hand. 

Cloud raised his chin.  _ I think I get it.  _ “You...can only remember things...when you’re here?” he said.

Link nodded solemnly, then wandered off to the opposite end of the case, where his vision fixed ahead on a particular trophy. It appeared to be Zelda, but she wore slightly different attire. Her hair was blonde, and her face had a softer look to it, pensive, but not hardened. Link gently touched his fingers to the glass--beside the Zelda trophy, there was another one of Link, but it also looked different from the person Cloud was standing next to, in subtle ways. “I wonder,” he whispered. He paused to swallow, gloved fingers falling down the surface of the glass. “If I’m really the hero I was supposed to be.”

Cloud’s eyes widened.  _ Link.  _ He watched his hand drop from the case and his chest heave from a heavy sigh.  _ I keep forgetting...you were dragged here, too. Away from your old friends, any family, and anything you had back in your world.  _ Link noticed Cloud staring at him, and he put on a smile, scratching the back of his head.  _ Yeah, I bet you were a hero. Even as lighthearted as you seem to be… _

Link walked forward and patted his shoulder, as if to say  _ forget about it _ , pulling him a little back toward the exit. “H-hey…” Cloud said weakly, following him out. “Link--”

He stopped when they were outside, the door shutting behind him. Link studied him for a moment, and even though Cloud felt he had the floor to speak, he found he could not. Link, however, took the opportunity. “It’s okay,” he said. He glanced down, then smiled to himself, before pointing to his own chest, then gently poking at Cloud’s. 

_ He...got to meet me,  _ Cloud thought, blinking while Link gave him a shy, but sunny look.  _ Even though I’m a complete outsider, no one’s even heard of _

_ (...S…) _

_ Shinra, or SOLDIER, or anything here.  _ Cloud locked eyes with him, cyan meeting ocean blue.  _ So...why?  _

Their gaze held until a shimmering, sky blue light rippled out from the back of Link’s tunic. “Ah!” Link exclaimed, reaching his hands out for it. It stopped for a brief second in the air, hovering right in front of Cloud’s face. Upon inspection, it looked similar to the fairy inside the bottle during the All-Star challenge. In a moment, it began swirling around Cloud’s head.

“Hey--!” Cloud said, trying to swat at it himself. “Is this your fairy?”

Link nodded abruptly, then held his hands out in front of him. “Navi!” he commanded, channeling sharpness into his quiet tone. The fairy perched on top of Cloud’s spiked hair, then drifted back down like a leaf into Link’s hands. As soon as it was docile, Link shuffled around to stand shoulder to shoulder with him, letting the blue light engulf them both. “She stowed away with me when I got sent here,” he explained. “Mischievous, but friendly.” 

The fairy darted back out of sight, leaving an afterglow behind. “She doesn’t heal you, or anything?” Cloud asked.

Link shook his head. 

“Does she talk to you?” 

Again, he shook his head.

_ Still, to think like something like that could have gotten pulled from another world.  _ He looked off at the floor, creasing his brow in thought.  _ It’d be like if I came here with Materia, or something. Or even if I could have dragged someone else along, something familiar… _

Link dipped his head to force himself in Cloud’s vision. “I was just…” he started, then hesitated.  _ Is it worth bringing up? Even though I’m glad _

_ (Zack) _

_ Link’s taken me “under his wing”, it doesn’t...feel the same. _

_ (do you even remember what that feels like?) _

Link let the moment pass, then tugged on his arm before continuing on down the hallway. He scanned the doors, clearly looking out for something. Cloud followed him through until he made a small exclamation, taking a sharp left toward another door. 

This door simply had the letters “FF” in bold face engraved in gold, but Link seemed enthusiastic about it, pointing at Cloud and then to the door. “What, is this supposed to be my door?” he asked.

Link grinned and thrust it open.

Unlike the previous trophy room, this one was extremely small, and only had one case in it. For that matter, the case itself was almost completely bare, save for a single trophy. As Cloud stepped forward to get a closer look, he realized what it was. “That’s me,” he said.

Link was busy poking around the rest of the room, searching for other trophies. Cloud’s figure was highlighted with disturbing detail--from his spiky, blonde hair, to his glowing, bright cyan eyes; his thin, but muscular body, noted mostly in his arms. The look on the trophy’s face was serious, in a battle stance, ready to draw its sword.  _ It’s...me, all right. Do I always look that stern?  _ Link had jogged back up to him, disappointment written all over his face. “So, that’s it, huh?” he said. “I...really am alone here.”

At that, Link’s shoulders drooped, crestfallen.  _ Shoot.  _ “N-no, I didn’t...mean it like  _ that,”  _ Cloud fumbled.  _ Especially after what he mentioned earlier.  _ “Th-there’s just no one...from my world that’s going to be here. I mean, you have people you know--”

Link suddenly grunted in frustration, stomping his foot and throwing his arms out, fists clenched. Cloud took a step back as Link slashed across his neck, then turned his back to him.  _ But then...they weren’t, were they? The “Zelda” he lingered on was different than the Zelda that we have breakfast with every morning. She’s not “his” Zelda.  _

Cloud’s fingers twitched at his side.  _ Somehow, I think that would be worse.  _ He sighed. “I’m sorry,” he replied. He took a step forward, with a small flinch, and gingerly placed his hand on Link’s shoulder. “I’m...still getting used to all this.”

Link turned his head, just enough to show his profile. His face was oddly serene, despite his earlier outburst, and he reached up to his shoulder to grip Cloud’s hand, squeezing it a little.  _ We’re both displaced  _

_ (heroes) _

_ people, far from home.  _ Link smirked faintly, and Cloud couldn’t help but return it, in both emotion and subtlety. _ And now, we have to make the best of it.  _

_ We’re comrades, for better or worse.  _

Suddenly, the door to the trophy room slammed shut. They both whipped around, and Cloud felt adrenaline surge through to the tips of his fingers. “What the hell was that?” he exclaimed.

Link rushed ahead, pulling at the handle. The door hadn’t been locked, and opened easily, so he checked down both ends of the hallway. After a first look, he walked out, more relaxed, then gestured for Cloud to follow. 

There was no one to be seen in the hallway, and barely a sign that anyone had been there at all. “Was it just...the wind?” Cloud asked.  _ That’s impossible. This is a closed space, how could any wind come through?  _

Link squinted down the hall, then pointed ahead, to the very end. A sliver of light was coming from the very far door, so faint Cloud could barely see it. Link seemed more sure, and began walking toward it, his companion not far behind. “Is that another trophy room?” Cloud said. As they drew closer, he found that this door was a double set, more ornate than the others, and the crack of light came from the center, below the enormous, gold handles. 

Link stopped short in front of it. “Assist trophies,” he murmured. “Where friends are called from other places to fight for a little while.”

“What? Really?” Cloud replied.  _ Like we were? Then, that means--  _ “Why didn’t you tell me about this before?” Excitement crept into his voice as he yanked one of the doors open.

Link chose not to reply as they entered.

The most noticeable thing about this trophy room was the enormous crack running down the center of it, jagged and a deep, swirling purple. It did not quite reach to the door, but it widened around the center of the room, where a marble pedestal sat, hovering above the strange crack as if it were sitting on an invisible platform. Around the pedestal (avoiding the crack) were two pools of water, lit from the bottom, and reflected their shimmering light against the rounded walls and ceiling. A staircase led to the marble pedestal, and at the bottom of the set of stairs, knelt a blue hedgehog.  _ Sonic,  _ Cloud remembered. He tried to take a step forward, but Link stopped him, with a hand on his shoulder.

Eerie purple light engulfed the pedestal, and when it faded, another hedgehog stood on top of it, looking mildly bewildered. It looked very similar to Sonic, except it was black with red markings, with strange boots and slightly upturned quills. It looked all around until its eyes rested on Sonic below it. “Oh. It’s  _ you,”  _ it said. Its voice was deep and steady.

“Yo, Shadow!” Sonic greeted, peppy as Cloud remembered him. “How’s it hangin’?”

“I do not know why you call me like this,” the hedgehog replied, crossing his arms. “There are much easier ways.”

“I’m doin’ great, thanks!” Sonic replied, snickering. “Just callin’ to check in on everyone. Haven’t gotten a chance in a while, y’know how it is.”

“I...suppose,” he said. 

“So?” Sonic waved his hand. “How’s Tails? Amy? Knucklehead?”

“They are fine,” Shadow replied. “Tails has been furthering Wisp communication technology, as far as I know.”

“Wisps, huh? News to me,” he said. “Bet Amy’s heartbroken because I haven’t been around.”

“She has been...doing her best,” Shadow replied slowly, his static posture flinching slightly. “Knuckles has not been seen in some time. I assume he is on a sabbatical from the Master Emerald for once.”

“I thought he’d never leave that thing alone,” Sonic remarked. “Ah well, good for him. Dude needs a vacation.”

“Mmm.”

Some silence settled between them, and Sonic knocked his feet together on the stairs. “S-so...what about you?” he asked, suddenly quiet. “Have you been okay?”

“I am fine as well,” Shadow replied curtly. “GUN keeps me busy.”

“‘Course they do.” Sonic’s voice was still soft. “Funny, out of everyone back home...I think I miss you the most, you old grouch.”

“Hmph.” Cloud watched as Shadow relaxed his arms, his eyes lowering as he met Sonic’s.  _ Something seems off about this,  _ he thought. “Sonic, I need to go.”

“What? But we just got started!” Sonic scrambled to his feet. “C’mon, just a couple more minutes?”

“No.”

“Shad, please,” he pleaded, holding a gloved hand out to the other hedgehog. “Can’t y’just...pretend, at least?”

Shadow winced, just barely--a twitch of his muzzle, a blink of his eye, and the folding of his ears--and turned his back to him. “I am sorry,” he muttered.

With that, purple light engulfed the podium, and Shadow was gone. 

Sonic kicked his foot hard against the stairs. “Grgh, shoot--!” he cursed. He began muttering to himself as he turned around and bounded down the stairs. “Next time, next time I’ll be able to--”

He jerked to a stop upon seeing Link and Cloud, his green eyes wide. “O-oh, hey guys!” he greeted, voice carrying artificial perkiness. He rubbed his finger under his nose, sniffing a little. “Guessin’ you...uh, probably…” Sonic glanced back at the podium, then to them. “You know what? Forget it. I’ll see ya around!” 

And in an instant, he was gone, leaving a gust of wind in his stead, nearly blowing Link’s hat off. The door swung wide in his wake, as Cloud looked back and forth between the marble podium and the open door.  _ That...even though Sonic recognized that hedgehog as someone he knew, the other clearly didn’t feel the same way.  _

“That’s why,” Link whispered, jumping him slightly. Cloud glanced over at him, and his eyes were steady, stern. He took one look at the podium, then back to him and shook his head. 

As he began to walk out of the room, Cloud lingered, deep in thought.  _ Even though you may be able to see the people you “know”, they’re not the same. You can never get in contact with  _ your  _ world ever again.  _ His focus faded, even as the podium began to shimmer with the purple light from before.  _ They’re gone forever.  _

Cloud finally turned away, toward Link, but a voice followed him, warbling and plaintive. “Link?”

Link froze in his tracks, eyes wide.

“Huh?” Cloud glanced back. The light had faded, revealing the form of Zelda, hands clasped at her breast, looking around. She looked younger somehow, her hair blonde instead of brown, and her face more expressive as she scanned everywhere but where the boys were standing. 

“Link? Was that you?” she called again. Even her voice sounded lighter. Beside him, Link’s shoulders quivered slightly. “I thought I heard your voice…”

With a shaking hand, he pulled at Cloud’s arm, and he allowed himself to be dragged out, pulling the Assist Trophy room door shut behind him. The light filtered through the bottom of the door, then faded low and dark. As soon as Cloud caught up to his side, Link let go of him, taking a deep breath through his nose and letting it out, hissing through his teeth. They walked in silence, trophy cases passing them in a blur down the hallway, until an imposing, dark figure stood in their path, toward the entrance from where they came. He was easily two heads taller than either of them, and his reddish eyes seemed to glow beneath small reading glasses, even in the ambient lighting. “Link,” he said, a low rumble.

He jerked in his tracks, holding his arm across Cloud to bar him from going further. The man chuckled, pulling a book from behind his back. It seemed thick, but was dwarfed in his enormous hands. “You never relax, do you? Neither of you,” he remarked, then sighed. “You ordered this from the library, correct?”

The man lowered it to his height, then Link relaxed just slightly, taking it from his hands. It was a goldenrod cover, with the title  _ The Art of Sign Language  _ in red letters across the top. Link nodded, not quite meeting his eyes.

The man shifted his attention to Cloud. “Since  _ he  _ won’t introduce me, I’ll do it myself,” he said. “I am Ganondorf. I don’t know how much this one or Princess Zelda have spoken of me.”

“Not at all,” Cloud replied.  _ Link hasn’t even mentioned a Ganondorf.  _ His gaze was still piercing, and it made his toes curl in his boots.  _ Can’t imagine why… _

“We were sworn adversaries in our home world, but that is a moot point here,” he clarified. “I am simply another fighter, but I have also been tasked with maintaining the library.” He took off his reading glasses and tucked them away, crossing his arms. “Odd choice for one with the Triforce of Power, but it is manageable.” 

Link was busying himself skimming the pages of the book, but his hands were still unsteady, long fingers trickling through the diagrams. Ganondorf brow furrowed. “You went to the Assist Trophy room, didn’t you?”

Link immediately snapped the book shut. “Yeah,” Cloud replied. “We saw Sonic there, talking to--”

"Ah, Sonic." Ganondorf clicked his tongue.  _ “He  _ hasn’t learned his lesson. That’s the fourth time this week,” he replied. He still stared pointedly at Link. “Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?”

Link outright turned his back to Ganondorf, hugging the book to his chest. “What…?” Cloud asked. 

He raised his head slightly. “Link used to be the same way,” he said. “Always running off to the Assist room, only seeing the rest of us when it was time to fight. It can make one very lonely.”

_ Lonely, huh?  _ Cloud mused. Link finally turned back to them, meeting his eyes first before looking off again.  _ I thought it couldn’t be worse than being in a new world. I guess the facade of seeing others like that only...makes it worse, instead of making it better.  _

“That isn’t the case anymore, from what I’ve observed,” Ganondorf continued. “But, I wouldn’t make a habit of it in your case, Cloud.” Deep red met Cloud’s cyan in an oddly confrontational gaze. It was broken by him putting his reading glasses back on, nodding to both of them, and heading back down the hall, disappearing in one of the left hand doors. 

As soon as he was gone, Link let out a long sigh that he had appeared to be holding in. “Are you okay?” Cloud asked.  _ A former enemy of Link and Zelda’s. He sure looked the part, but didn’t act... _ that  _ menacing.  _

_ (“...that is a moot point here. I am simply another fighter…”) _

Link looked over to him and nodded, cracking his fingers on his left hand with his thumb. Then, he held the book out to him, flipping around the pages. It was filled with diagrams of hand signs, as well as definitions written beneath. “What is that for?” he asked.

He snapped it shut, making a mouth with his hand, then a swiping motion across his lips with one finger. “Oh, right. So you can talk without speaking better.”  _ I wouldn’t mind it if you spoke more,  _ Cloud thought, but kept to himself.

Link, on the other hand, nodded enthusiastically, his energy slowly returning to him. He pointed to him, then his eyes, then back to the book.  _ You can look at it too.  _ “Yeah, we’ll see,” Cloud said, before they reentered the foyer.

* * *

Later that night, after Link was snoring gently in the top bunk, Cloud rolled over to spot  _ The Art of Sign Language  _ lying on the shared nightstand, right beside the ladder and his footboard. The full moon trickled in bright, white light, enough to reflect the metallic lettering of the title. He sat up, scooted to the edge, and picked it up.  _ Link was lonely too, at one point,  _ he thought, idly flipping through, the pages shuffling under his calloused hands.  _ Maybe the reason he’s so adamant about sticking with me, is because he doesn’t want me to be stuck in that Assist Room like him, or Sonic, pining for something that isn’t there. _

_ But, who would I even see?  _

_ Would there even be anyone there for me to draw on?  _

He blinked a couple times, as faces flashed in his head.  _ Long hair, busty, muscular...that’s Tifa. Dark hair, eyes more like mine, with a scar across one of them, and that smile...that’s...Zack.  _ His heart began to stutter, rise in his chest.  _ Zack’s gone, though… _

His eyes drifted to a diagram on the far corner of the page--two interlocking index fingers, then flipped around with the same motion.  _ “Friend”.  _ He mimicked the motion with his own hands. “Friend,” he murmured.

“Cloud…”

Link’s voice above him caused him to yelp, and he whipped his head up to see Link dangling over the side of the bed, eyes barely open. “Sleep,” he whispered, before hoisting himself back up, the springs creaking above him. Cloud shut the book, his face feeling strangely warm, and scooched back into bed, flipping over to his side to stare at the wall.  _ Fine, fine,  _ he thought.  _ He mentioned we have another tournament thing we’re doing tomorrow. If it’s going to be anything like the last one, I’m going to need all that I can get.  _

_ Link.  _

He practiced the image of the sign for “friend” in his mind, until he eventually drifted to sleep. 


	5. Phase 5

The foyer had a couple TVs in it--one for general purpose use, and another highlighting fights from around the stadium. A tall, dark haired woman was seated on the couch in front of the latter with a lollipop in her mouth, eyes calculating behind her glasses. Her legs were long and slender, and her shoes featured two guns holstered in the heel, with the words _“Love Is Blue”_ engraved on them.

“Oh, Bayonetta!” greeted another woman, in white robes with her long, green hair streaming behind her. “I’m surprised you got this away from Fox and Falco.”

“It was no trouble at all,” she replied with a wink. “Why don’t you join me, Palutena? This little adventure should be amusing to watch.”

“Who’s fighting?” she asked, circling around the couch and taking a seat on the opposite edge from Bayonetta, laying her staff across her lap.

“Link and Cloud,” she replied, popping the lollipop out from between her lips, the bright red candy center whittled down to barely the size of a marble. “They’re going to face Master Hand in another round or so.”

“And what, may I ask, will make this so amusing?” Palutena asked.

She grinned, tapping the lollipop against her pursed lips. “You’ll just have to wait and see~.”

_“Lady Palutena!”_ A boy with angel wings came spiralling out into the foyer and skidded to a halt in front of the goddess. “Pitoo keeps blasting music when I’m trying to nap!”

A similar sounding voice came from down the hallway. _“You_ shouldn’t be even napping right now! Go to the training room and leave me alone!”

“Now, Pit,” Palutena said, contrasting a gentle tone with the angel’s red, puffed face. “You two are roommates, so you need to be nice to each other.”

“I _am_ nice!” he exclaimed. His eye drifted to the TV screen. “Oh, is that Link and Cloud?”

“Come sit, little one,” Bayonetta said, patting the empty space between herself and Palutena. “I don’t bite~. Only Gamorrah does that.”

Pit did not look convinced. “E-eh, o-okay,” he said, inching his way over. He scooted close to Palutena, under the amused eyes of the witch. “S-so, are th-they just going to beat Master Hand now, Lady Bayonetta?”

“You know how to treat a lady, I like that~,” she replied, chuckling. “No, I’m afraid there’s a bit more to it. You’ll see.”

* * *

Link and Cloud stood back to back, both panting as the last black clad fighter faded into the distance. The sun was setting on the Battlefield stage, the first one Cloud stepped foot on, and he sheathed his sword. “You said there was one more round,” Cloud said, glancing back to Link.

He nodded, turning toward him to wriggle his hands in front of his face. “Uh,” he said, raising an eyebrow, then raised his head and nodded in recognition. _Right. Master Hand is the final battle of this circuit._

_Is it really just...a giant hand?_

Suddenly, the bottomless pit below the platform, normally a serene blue, split open, whirling black particles like swarms of bees at them. Link jerked back and joined arms with Cloud, holding him tight as they were engulfed by the filaments. Cloud covered his eyes as his ears were filled with a deafening, rushing sound that tried to consume him. _What the hell is this? This is nothing like the usual portals--_

The darkness cleared as soon as it came, and they had been transported onto a different stage, one that seemed to take place in an eerie, space-like area. The scenery constantly changed, a rush of stars and planets, but Cloud felt grounded nonetheless. A shredding sound pierced the emptiness and two hands emerged from a rip above them, both of them white and unfathomably large. They cackled at them, one wriggling incessantly, the other more calm and taunting. “You didn’t tell me there were two!” Cloud exclaimed.

Link huffed, letting him go and spinning in front of him, reminding him of his earlier gesture with the two hands in front of his face. “Wh-whatever! Let’s just do this!”

Link rushed in front of the more spritely one, while Cloud took the other and immediately jabbed his sword into the huge, gloved hand. It barely made a mark, just a squelching sound, like hitting a steak with a baseball bat. Cloud cringed at the sound. _It’s barely even doing anything,_ he thought, as it hovered above him, fingers closing slightly. _Although it’s just out of reach…_

The hand drifted just above his head, then snapped right on top of it, causing him to stumble backwards, vision tripled and weaving. _Come on, come on, snap out of it! Ugh, I can’t move…_

“Hah!” A panicked voice startled him back to reality, along with hands on his shoulders as the Master Hand steadied in front of him. _Link._

“I’m all right, I’ve got it!” he shouted, ignoring the churning in his stomach as he lunged toward it again, throwing a kick in to chain a combo with his sword. It didn’t seem to get knocked back from his blows, only continuing in hindering him, throwing out large balls of light that he could only barely dodge. He swung his sword over his head and sliced across the hand, craning his neck back to try and get a better glance at what Link was doing. He was having a hard enough time of it on his own, caught in the hand’s grip, but still jamming his sword into the clean white glove. _Gods, how long will this take?_

Suddenly, the hand in front of him froze. _“HeyyAH!”_ Link cried, and lunged one last, strong thrust into the hand before it released him, letting him drop to the floor like a sack of potatoes. Both hands began to shred apart in the same, odd blackness that brought them to this stage in the first place, and at the same time, they merged together, swirling in a swarm until they agreed to a singular form. Link rushed to Cloud’s side. “Golem,” he muttered.

It was easily larger than the two hands combined, only instead made of the swirling blackness, with a purple, glowing gem for a face. It was rock-like in structure, as well as clout and weight, judging by the rumble one of its heavy fists made on the stage. Link made a dive at the head, slashing wildly, while Cloud occupied himself with one of its fists. _I knew there was more to it than just the hands._

He swung his sword far back behind him, but in the delay, the Golem’s fist swiped across the stage, and he went skyrocketing backwards, all the way to the opposite side. It came to swing back, but Cloud managed to jump it before it hit him a second time.

Link grunted as he threw a bomb directly at its head, exploding into heavy fire. His focus was immense, the blade of his own sword almost glowing with light as he continued to beat on the Golem. _I could have never imagined someone like him to fight so hard, if I only knew him outside of battle,_ Cloud thought. He took some distance from the fists of the Golem to throw Blade Beams at it with his sword. _He’s so strong._

_And yet, so kind._

The fourth beam he sent did the trick, making a louder impact than all the others, and the form broke again, swirling into shadow. “There’s more?” Cloud cried. Link’s loud breathing signaled him close-by, as the blackness took shape once more.

“Beast.”

It resembled a cross between an alligator and a dragon, with a huge jaw that seemed to be filled with fire. Link wasn’t afraid to drive his sword right into its maw, snarling and snapping, but Cloud kept his distance, using the tip of the Buster Sword to slash at its middle. At one point, Link lodged his shield in his jaw to pacify him, getting a few more jabs at its head. _And he called me reckless._

The Beast had suffered enough, yanking itself away from Link’s shield and vanishing into the swirling ether of the sky. Cloud just realized it had turned into a haze of color, ranging from green to pink, with black swirls mixed in. _It's like the fabric of this place is falling apart--!_ With little warning, the Beast came back, jaws wider than Cloud was tall, and bit down on Link’s side of the stage. “No!” Cloud cried, and brought his sword down hard, double handed, against the Beast’s head. It withdrew immediately, revealing Link hanging on the edge of the platform, heaving himself up. _Damn it, that was close._

Nonetheless, after that encounter, Link took a more reserved approach, throwing bombs and arrows from the edge. This left Cloud to face it head on, constantly on his toes to avoid the snapping jaws. As he jabbed, his steps fell out of rhythm, and the Beast took advantage of it, biting hard on his leg. _“Agh!”_ Cloud yelled, burning pain searing through his shin and thigh. He started hitting its smoking nostrils with the hilt of his sword, then made more of an effort to pry it off. _“Link!_ A little help--”

He was one step ahead of him, stringing three arrows together and pulling back as far as he could, aiming straight between its eyes. As soon as he let go, he made a dive for it, sword high. The arrows pierced the Beast, releasing Cloud to the floor, while Link’s final swing made it screech for mercy, until it exploded into millions of black particles.

“Nice,” Cloud huffed. Link bent down to help him up, and Cloud was surprised that he could even stand at all. Looking down at his leg, the only sign of injury was bite shaped tears in his pants, even as the lingering ache remained. _Still not used to that…_

After making sure he was steady, Link stood poised and ready as the black shadow began to take shape again. “There’s _more?”_ Cloud sighed.

Link nodded. “Edges,” he mouthed, barely loud enough for Cloud to discern amidst the cacophony of noise.

The shadow formed a thin line, adjusting its form into a single sword. Cloud lunged to start a combo, leading with his elbow, but got knocked back as it filleted into seven different swords. They rose above them, edges gleaming as Cloud scooted back on hands and feet to regain his balance. “Damn it,” he grunted, staggering up and rushing toward them. _My swings aren’t going to be as powerful, because I’m trying to jab upward. And then--_

Link was doing his best with his arrows, but he was struck quickly above the head by one of the blades. As soon as he was stunned, another one slashed across his middle, and then another, and another. _Shoot!_ Cloud thrust his sword against the Edges as they swept across the stage, still making the awful squelching sound instead of the clink of metal. The blows were enough for Link to escape, staying close behind Cloud to recover. “You okay?” he called back.

He didn’t reply, only panting to catch his breath. As Cloud focused on the Edges in front of him, they started creating purple orbs of light, tossing them out from the tips of their blades. Cloud dodged as best as he could; slicing the ones he could get at, and ducking underneath others, until he was once again directly facing the blades. He hacked against them, and he could feel the whoosh of air from Link shooting arrows directly over his shoulder. _C’mon!_ His arms were starting to ache, combined with the heat and pain of the damage he had taken thus far. _C’mon, just break_

_break_

_BREAK!_

A faint, blue glow surrounded him, and he used the surge of energy to perform a lighting fast combo against the blades, slicing in five directions almost at once. Metal screeched in his ears and the blades exploded, wrapping darkness all around them. It was more complete than the last transformations, and Cloud felt Link grab his arm as they were engulfed in the thick, black atmosphere.

It didn’t take long before silence filled his ears, and it was soon interrupted by panicked, heavy breathing. A hand grasped his face, grazing his cheek and his jaw. “I’m here, I’m right here,” Cloud said. _Link,_ he thought, despite not being able to see him, or anything at all.

“Thank Gods,” he replied, swallowing hard. He still kept a hand on him, dropping to his shoulder. It was then that Cloud realized that they were both on their knees, and he used Link to coax them both up.

Around them, a slow, yellowish light began to pulse, making it easier to see their surroundings. They were in a narrow cave, hollowed in dark rock, while the lights were coming from pools of frothing, yellow liquid that he could barely see beyond the bend. “Where are we now?” Cloud asked.

Link’s eyes darted, and he shook his head. _Even he doesn’t know. Great._ Nonetheless, as Cloud let go of him, he readjusted his grip to his arm, leading the way down the cavern. _Still, he wants to lead?_ Cloud marvelled, as Link’s shield bounced against his forearm. _Not like I know any better about where to go._ He kept his eyes peeled as shadows whispered behind him, catching his eye but disappearing as soon as they came. _All I know is that this place gives me the willies._

As they shuffled out into a more open area, Link stopped and pointed across a chasm, to where a pulsing, pinkish orb was attached to the rock. “Fortress,” he said, relief tinging his voice. “We have to destroy four of those.”

“Okay,” Cloud replied. The longer he looked at it, the more it looked like a grotesque muscle, veiny and semi transparent. “How come you didn’t know before?”

He let go of Cloud to hold a finger from each hand in front of him, swapping places. _Wrong order…? There’s an order? There’s Gods damn_ more? Link then pointed to Cloud, then himself, blue eyes wide and steady. _Don’t get separated, stay close. Yeah, I got it._ Cloud nodded, but was surprised to see Link hesitate a little, something softer creeping into his expression. He patted his shoulder briefly, before narrowing his focus ahead of them. Cloud felt Link’s touch linger on him, like an imprint. _Yeah._

_Be careful._

He huffed to himself, shook his head, and stayed as close as he could to Link without stepping on his heels.

The chasm was too wide to jump, so the two were forced to shimmy across a narrow stretch of rock along the outside of the cavern. The yellow liquid bubbled and steamed below them, and it wafted a stench reminiscent of rotten eggs. Cloud took his time, his boots scraping against the gravel of the precarious ledge. He tried to keep his eyes forward, but they kept wandering to the toxic water below, swirling and pulsing. A bubble rose and popped directly below him, wafting the strong smell directly to his nose, and he weaved, holding his breath. As he tipped forward, Link thrust his arm across his chest, hitting him hard enough to knock the wind out of him, eyes watering, and it kept him from weaving forward off the ledge.

_That was close…_

They managed to get onto stable ground, right below where the pink orb sat, lodged to the side of the cavern. “Is this some kind of power source?” Cloud asked.

Link nodded, grinding his teeth as he hacked at it. It seemed to glow a little with each blow of his sword, and now Cloud could clearly see the veins weaving through it. With a grimace, he joined in, and after the damage Link put in, it only took one solid thrust for it to burst, whirling blackness like a swarm of bats. All that remained of it was a thin skin, wrinkled and hanging lifeless from the rock. Cloud stared at it in disgust, but Link was quick to pull him onward, through another tunnel deeper into the fortress.

Link’s pace was moderate, but quick for the state of the maze they were in. Every few paces, there was another branching path, and it only took him a moment to glance at it, assess where to go, and keep moving. _He must be pretty familiar with this,_ he thought. _Don’t know if I’d be able to get through it on my own without a lot of trial and error._

Suddenly, Link held his hand out across him, stopping Cloud in his tracks. He slowly held out his shield, creeping forward. Cloud opened his mouth, _what is it?_ on his lips, but thought better of it. A bare movement caught the corner of his eye, just in front of them, and Link caught it too, whipping his sword forward and slashing at a crack in the rocks. A squeal echoed through the damp, narrow causeway, and out scuttled an enormous spider, covered in thick, bristly hairs. Or was it? It seemed like it was constantly shifting, pulsing larger and smaller, its feet barely touching the ground. “What the hell is that thing?” Cloud exclaimed, pushing himself against the wall in order to brandish the Buster Sword. It was still too narrow to hold it out, so he gripped it tight against his chest, the broad side of the blade nearly flush with his face.

“Ghh!” Link grunted as he hacked at the spider. It screeched at them, red beady eyes glowing, and then leaped up onto his chest, hissing and trying to bite at whatever it could. Its weight threw him to the wall, his sword clattering to the ground as he struggled to get it away from his neck and face.

“Hold still! I’ve got it!” Cloud shouted, closing one eye. _I’ve only got one shot though, or else I’ll take his head off._ His mouth went dry. _Here goes--_

He held his breath as he held his sword level, brought back his elbow and jabbed it straight into the body of the spider. Instead of piercing it, his blow sent it flying backwards, steaming with anger. Cloud chased after it, following it up with a few slashes until it exploded backward in a flash of red light. _This place is probably crawling with monsters to hold us up,_ he thought, hearing the scrape of Link picking his sword back up. He glanced back at him, just as Link jogged back to his side. “Thanks,” he said, taking the lead once again.

At the next split path they embarked on, Link chose to take the left fork, a tunnel that allowed them to walk side by side. It went straight across, making it easy to see any intruders. As Cloud found the coast to be clear, he balanced the hilt of his sword on his shoulder. “So, after we smash those...things, what’s left?” he asked.

“Shadow,” he replied shortly. His focus was still narrow and ahead, eyes intense. _He’s talking to me a little bit more,_ Cloud thought. _But only when we’re alone, for the most part. And anytime we haven’t been caught up in battling, he’s been studying that sign language book--he barely took his eyes off it at breakfast._ His hand tightened on the grip of his sword. _I should probably take a look at it too. Maybe then--_

His thoughts were rudely interrupted by a sudden jerk in his footing, causing him to trip and fall, only barely catching his balance. Link held his hand out briefly, but rerouted his attention to what caused the fall. “Mm!” he exclaimed, pointing down at the ground. Sure enough, another one of the pink orbs was there, directly in the middle of the path. Link grinned and gave Cloud a thumbs up.

“Just got lucky,” he grumbled, walking back over. Instead of bothering to swipe at it, Cloud chose to twirl his sword around once in his hand and stab the blade directly into the center of it. It went all the way through, the orb splintering from all angles with black light coming from the inside. “Well, that’s two down--”

_“Lights out~.”_

All at once, it shattered, surrounding them with a swarm of shadow, screeching loud enough for Cloud to cover his ears, ducking his head. Vertigo struck him like a blow to the stomach, and he fell to his knees as his head spun behind his eyes. _“Aagh!”_ he shouted, in an attempt to ground himself. _“What--”_

The sound faded first. Then the darkness, rising to the dim, yellowy light from before. Cloud found himself panting, shivering as he used the cavern walls to help himself up and keep himself steady. “This is some damn ride,” he panted. “Link…?”

His voice echoed around him, hollow. He glanced around, behind and ahead. “Link?” he called again. _“Link!”_

But his green clad comrade was nowhere to be seen. _Shit. Looks like I’m on my own, then._

He sighed and continued down the cavern’s hall, cyan eyes constantly darting around. _This isn’t a big deal,_ he assured himself, taking a deep breath. _After all, if we can find the other two...energy things, we can get the hell out of here._ A shadow darted at his feet, and he jumped back, immediately slashing his sword at the ground. “Nngh!” he panted. _I can handle this,_ he thought, heart racing.

_Come to think of it…_

_I don’t think I’ve been by myself the entire time I’ve been here._

The cavern opened up into another large area, this one with a more straight-forward path through the toxic, lava-like water that ran through most of the cave. A stone bridge, several feet above the liquid, but close enough to feel the heat emanating from it. Once more, Cloud felt mesmerized by its swirling depths, a rippled reflection of himself peering back at him. _Link’s always been with me, everywhere I’ve been._ He held his breath as he passed over the bridge, forcing his eyes ahead. _I wonder where he went. I hope he’s okay._

_He can handle himself, but still._

_Still._

Over the bridge, the cavern began to narrow once again, but at its base, a figure stood back to him. Cloud recognized the boots, the hat, the lip of chain mail that hung just past its tunic. He smirked to himself, unable to mask the sigh of relief passing through his teeth. “Link!” he called, picking up his pace. “Thank Gods you’re--

As soon as he was in arm’s reach, the figure spun around, sword out, and slashed at Cloud’s arm. He jerked back with a yelp, feeling the hot rush of blood seep down his bicep. “What--? Link, it’s--” he started, but paused when he met its eyes. _Oh, no…_

It looked like Link in many ways, but the tunic wasn’t the green it was supposed to be--instead, it was gray, as was the rest of his outfit. There were strange red markings on his face, but the most potent detail was the eyes--they were all white, blank and nearly glowing. Cloud gripped his sword, swallowing hard. _No, this can’t be him--_

The doppelganger lunged at him and began slashing, swinging faster than Cloud could properly track. He held his sword broad side out to block, but the blows kept jerking him backward. “Come on!” he shouted, grinding his teeth. “Link, it’s _me!_ Get a grip!”

He didn’t even flinch, continuing to push him back without mercy, back toward the bridge and the lava. “Fine!” he grunted, spinning his sword and finally fighting back. The faux Link dodged with incredible accuracy, shielding at the precise moments when Cloud’s sword came down. He noticed that the shield’s crest was marred and slashed, its triangle logo almost completely faded.

“You’re not him,” Cloud growled, pushing forward as he slashed. The more he fought, the more ground he regained, forcing him back into a corner at the entrance of the next cavern. “Not with those eyes, you’re not.”

_(his are blue, bright like the sky)_

He raised his sword above his head, but to his surprise, the doppelganger chuckled, causing Cloud to stop mid-swing. “That was too easy,” he said. His voice sounded like several at once, and soon morphed to something higher pitched. “Maybe a little something...more close to home.”

Before his eyes, the Link morphed, clothes dropping away in change for new ones. Its figure slimmed, sculpting itself into thick arms, a busty chest, strong middle, and even thicker thighs. Long brown hair spilled over its shoulders, coupled with wide eyes and a pale complexion. Cloud’s hands spasmed in his grip. “T-Tifa?”

“Did you miss me?” she replied, punching him in the gut.

He staggered backwards, as Tifa kept coming at him, kicking and punching at him with ferocious drive. “I never thought you were the type to run away from a fight,” she remarked.

Cloud managed to push his sword out to block, even as shock made each movement feel like he was skidding on ice. “I’m not,” he said, unable to take his eyes away from her face. _Tifa, what are you doing here? How is this possible? And why the hell are you fighting me?_

“Then why’d you come out here? We need you!” She tried to uppercut his throat, but Cloud barely avoided it with a twist of his neck. “Or maybe we don’t. After all, it is _your_ fault that Sephiroth has the White Materia.”

_Sephiroth._

_(long white hair with those eyes and that voice that VOICE)_

“It’s _your_ fault that Aerith is dead.”

“Shut up!” he cried, slashing forward. “It’s not! And you know it!” As he took a wider stance, his heel slipped against the side of the bridge, sending rock crumbling to the lava below. “I was--I was--”

“Don’t bother,” she taunted, running up to him and grabbing him by the collar, throttling his neck. “You don’t remember anything, do you?”

He gasped for air, hands shaking on her wrists as he tried to free himself. _No! No, I fucking don’t! I can’t even tell you if you’re right or not!_ “S...stop…” he groaned.

Her face stretched into a grin, then changed. “You probably don’t remember me, either, do you?” she replied, her voice much deeper.

Cloud stopped breathing.

He blinked, and he was staring into the face of Zack Fair.

Zack threw him on the ground, making him slide on the bridge, far enough so that he could feel the heat of the lava on the back of his neck. He scrambled to his feet, hands shaking so violently he could barely hold his sword steady. “Z-Zack, you...you…” Cloud stammered.

_(the last time I saw him he was covered in blood)_

He gave him a wry grin, so familiar it made his chest ache. The coy look in his blue eyes, the scar on his face, the way he sauntered over to him with his sword on his back made Cloud’s head scream. _You were someone I looked up to! I would have gone wherever you asked, and then_

_then you_

_you--_

“Nice sword,” he said, whipping his own off his back and slashing him across the stomach. It was the same size and shape, from its broadness to its tip. “Too bad it ain’t yours. How’d you get holed up in this place, anyway?”

Paralyzed to do anymore than hold his sword out, Cloud took the blow with a grunt, tightening his gut even as it screamed with pain. “Y-you…” he whimpered, a cold sweat across his brow. “Y-you were _dead…”_

“And you’re _about_ to be, if you don’t do something,” he replied, slashing three times forward, knocking Cloud down on his back once again. _The last time I saw you, we were outside of Midgar, and you_

_(the trophy room)_

_you gave me this sword_

_(it was empty, except for you)_

_you said that I was going to carry on your legacy_

_(you are the only one here from your world)_

Zack hovered over him, sword grazing his throat. “Time’s up,” he said, pressing it barely against him. “You’re coming home with me this time.”

_(I’d go with you anywhere)_

Cloud stared right into Zack’s eyes--there was an odd swirling around his pupil, like a shadow passing through. “N-no,” he stammered. “I-I can’t. You’re…” He swallowed hard, then shouted: _“Zack is dead!_ You’re not _real!”_

“Prove it,” he replied, his gaze steady, a strand of dark hair falling by his cheek. “Prove it, Cloud.”

_I can’t,_ Cloud thought, even as he slowly lifted his sword up. _I can’t, you want me to hurt you, and I can’t, I can’t do it, not you, not you--_

_(it was Link, then it was Tifa)_

_B-but this is Zack--_

_(it isn’t real)_

_But…_

Zack’s sword pressed even more urgently into his neck, enough to increase his breathing. _You’re the reason I’m alive, after we were kidnapped. And now_

_I have to_

_do this?_

Cloud squeezed his eyes shut. _“HHAAAAGH!”_ he screamed, thrusting his sword upward, right into Zack’s chest.

As silence settled around them, he opened one eye, hands still shivering on the hilt of the sword. Blood oozed from his chest onto the broad blade, and his eyes were wide down at Cloud. Zack chuckled. “Well,” he croaked, coughing up blood. “If you need me--” He raised a shaking hand to Cloud’s chest, weak and limp. “--you know where to find me.”

His body slumped over the length of the sword, dropping to his knees at Cloud’s feet. The Buster Sword fell out of his hands, and Cloud proceeded to scream into them, tears streaming down his face. _“ZACK! N-N-NO!”_

He doubled over, his screams and wails echoing all around the cavern, indifferent toward him. _I know,_ he thought, even as he struggled to breathe. _I know...I know._

_Zack…_

Cloud managed to pry his hands away from his face, tacky with tears and snot, and saw that Zack’s body was gone. Instead, his sword was lodged into a pink orb, exactly like the ones he had seen on the cavern walls. _So...it was a test. I was right._ He sighed, shuddering and gasping. _So, I am alone._

The leather grip on the hilt of his sword had unraveled just enough to reveal the metal underneath, and the initials “Z.F.” were carved in it. _Not...entirely, though._

Shivering still, he forced himself up, weak in the knees, and yanked the Buster Sword out of the orb. It cracked, similar to the last one, and exploded into black shadow, without the encompassing darkness or the earsplitting scream. Instead, a ball of cyan light flew out of it, fluttering its wings in front of Cloud’s face. “Y-you’re…” he stammered, voice cracking as he gasped for air. “Y-you’re Link’s little fairy. N...Navi.”

_Link._ He struggled to catch his breath, using his sword for support, even with tears still running down his face. _If I just had to go through...all of this, I can’t imagine what’s going on with him._ He swallowed hard, chest heaving. _I’ve...got to find him._ “Navi, c-can you take me...to Za--I mean, Link?”

_(he reminds you of him, doesn’t he?_

_in some strange way…)_

The fairy bounced up and down, before swirling around Cloud’s head and fluttering down through the cavern. It stopped just at the entrance, waiting. “T-take me to him,” he muttered, finding the strength in his legs to finally move, sword at his side. “I’ve got to find him.”

Navi had surprising speed flying down through the narrow tunnels, and Cloud had to run in order to keep up. _Anything that I just went through, Link must have it ten times worse,_ he thought, furiously wiping his eyes with the back of his glove. Everytime he blinked he saw another

_(Tifa)_

vision of his friends

_(Zack)_

flash in front of his eyes

_(Aerith…)_

like a dull dream, and he bit the side of his cheek. _Damn it, this only makes it worse, I know I’m alone! I know I’m never going to see them_

_again…_

All at once, his breath caught in his throat and he burst into sobs, burning his lungs and hindering his speed. Navi jerked to a halt right before turning a corner and immediately floated in front of his face. _“Forget about me!”_ he cried, holding his breath to try and cut the outburst short. “Just get me to Link!”

_(so I won’t be alone anymore)_

At his ferocity, Navi fled with even more urgency, and Cloud sucked in through his teeth in a vain attempt to regulate his breathing. _Pull it together, pull it together, pull it together._ The more he focused on keeping up with Navi, the more his legs burned, the less energy he could devote to his emotions, the flashes in his head. _I can’t...do anything about them. But, I can do something for him._

Navi spun around a blind corner off the main path, so nimble that Cloud barely caught it, and was met with a dead end. The cave was covered in red crystals, glowing faintly, and had enormous ceilings, contrary to the tunnels he had just traversed. Navi flew to the center of the cave, where Cloud found Link surrounded by shadows. The fairy disappeared into his tunic without a trace.

_“Link...Link…”_

The shadows chanted at him, all in vague, humanoid shapes, their voices an unsettling chorus. Link was panting in the center, slashing at each of them in turn. As soon as his sword hit one, it would disappear, only to be replaced by another one from another angle. _He’s way outnumbered,_ Cloud thought, sniffling and gripping his sword. He found that his hands still shook. _Damn it…_

_“Link...you’ve forgotten about us…”_

_“The Hero of Time, lost in time…”_

_“Ill fitted for the Triforce of courage…”_

Each was in a slightly different voice, but Link was picking up speed, slashing with feverish vigor. Soon, there was only one left, a slender body, reaching out for his face. _“Link...we miss you…”_ it said in a light, sing song voice.

“HAAH!” he cried, slashing it right down the middle, and it disappeared.

Link fell to his knees, holding on to his sword as support, his breathing moving his entire body. Finally, Cloud took a step forward. “Hey,” he said, trying to keep his voice as even as possible. “Thank Gods, it’s really you. There’s only one more--”

As he spoke, an entourage of shadows rose up around Link once again, except this time, Cloud could make out the shape of Zelda in them, even as they were swarming with darkness. All of them were Zelda, and all of them spoke in unison. _“How could you...how could you forget your duty...why couldn’t you save me....”_

He forced himself to his feet, pain in his eyes, but thrust his sword out regardless. _“Heeeyyaah!”_ Link cried, spinning it in a circle, vanquishing all of the shadow Zeldas in an instant. He groaned and covered his face with his shield hand, his other dropping so the tip of his sword dragged in the rocky ground.

_How long has he been stuck here fighting?_ “Link?” he said, more tentatively than before.

Link jerked his head up, but instead of greeting him with relief, his eyes were wide with fear. He immediately jumped back with his sword out, teeth bared. “Link, it’s me. It’s Cloud,” he said, holding his sword out to his side. “I’m guessing you’ve been through some pretty awful things just now, but--”

Link was glancing back up behind him, and then to Cloud, over and over again. “What? What is it?” He followed his eyes to just above his head, then saw what drew Link’s attention. “Oh…”

Cloud saw himself tied to a pole, unconscious, hands tied up above his head, which was lolling onto his shoulder. _That’s...me. Right down to my hair and outfit._ His eyes flickered back down to Link, who had his shield out, the same fierce look on his face. _Was he trying to protect “me” from those shadows? Link…_

He sighed, then dropped his sword in front of him, letting it clatter and echo on the ground. “It’s really me,” Cloud reiterated, holding his hand out. “Th-this place is full of...illusions. I-I just had to stab wh-what looked like my dead best friend.” Tears pricked behind his eyes, but he forced them back. “But th-this is me.”

Link slowly lowered his shield, still suspicious. _Damn it, what’s it going to take?_ Cloud took another step forward, but winced when Link flinched. “Please,” he said. _You’re the one who’s made it easier to be here, who has stuck with me since I dropped in._

_(friend)_

Cloud gestured to himself, pointed to Link, and then linked his index fingers together, one over the other, then pulling them tight against each other. “We’re friends, right?”

Link’s arms dropped to his side, and he sighed, a weak smile of relief on his lips. He nodded, sheathed his sword, and repeated the gesture. _“We are friends.”_

Cloud’s heart skipped in his chest, and he wiped his eyes again, half hiding a smirk that snuck up on to his face. The sound of footsteps approached him, and Link dipped his head to try and meet his eyes. “Are you okay?” he murmured.

“I’ll be fine,” Cloud replied, despite Link’s gentle voice only making him want to cry more. “I’m just...glad you are. Okay.”

“Nngh…”

The voice came from behind them, and they both turned back at once. “Cloud” had begun to stir in his binds, fidgeting his legs and furrowing his brow. Link took his sword back out and crept toward him, steady and quiet. The real Cloud’s body tensed. _I wonder if this is going to be anything like what I had to do. I hope it’s not. I really, really hope it’s not._

As Link approached the doppelganger, his eyes opened, just a crack. Instead of the bright, glowing blue they were supposed to be, they were red. It snickered at him, lips unfurling to a grin, wider than what would naturally allow for his face. “Got you~,” it sneered, and continued to laugh, revealing razor sharp teeth. Smoke fumed from its nostrils, and black limbs emerged from its sides in sets of two, each with enormous, bleeding claws, hovering over Link’s body. Link himself was frozen in place.

_“Do something!”_ Cloud shouted, grabbing his sword in panic. _“Come on!”_

At his voice, Link threw his shield aside and gripped his sword with both hands. _“Ghh!”_ he grunted, and with one forceful jab, shoved the sword directly into its stomach.

The doppelganger fell limp as Link pulled the sword out, covered in a murky, reddish black liquid. It choked and sputtered, extra limbs disappearing, eyes fading from red back to blue before falling out of focus. “A-ah...ah…” Link whimpered, taking a few shuddering steps backward.

Cloud settled his own sword on his back and rushed over to him. “You did it,” he said.

Link jerked his head back to him, looking him over, as if to confirm that yes, he was still the real Cloud, before clumsily shoving his sword into his belt and pulling him into a tight hug. The embrace was strong enough to knock the wind out of Cloud, and when he tried to get a better look at him, Link refused, burying his face in his shoulder without the guard. Tentatively, Cloud returned it, one hand on his back, the other positioned more on the back of his neck. “It’s okay,” he murmured. “We did it, it’s okay.”

Link nodded against him, his fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt. His body felt warm against him, and when he inhaled (his nose finally clear), he could smell the scent of fresh cut grass on his tunic. _You’re okay. You’re okay._ He felt every bone in his body relax at once.

_We’re not alone._

Cloud blinked up, slow and in a haze, back to where Link had slain the doppelganger, and found a pulsing, pink orb in its place. “Hey, look,” he said, gently pushing him away and turning his head back.

Link shook his head a bit, then refocused. “Mm!” he exclaimed, his whole face brightening like a firecracker. His hands were still on Cloud, albeit at his waist, and he squeezed him in his excitement.

“That’s the last one,” Cloud said, Link’s excitement causing him to smile just a little. “There was one in the shadow I faced too.”

Link grabbed his hand and dragged him over to it, sword in hand. As he stumbled over, Cloud caught sight of his shield, holding a more purple like sheen in the red tinted light. “Hey, don’t forget this,” he said, attempting to walk over to it.

The problem was, Link didn’t seem to want to let go of him, so he ended up pulling him off balance as he bent over. Link bounced on one foot, until Cloud stabilized him when he stood up straight, pushing his shield onto his chest. “L-let’s just get out of here, yeah?” he said.

Reluctantly, Link relinquished Cloud’s hand to take his shield, and slid it onto his right hand with a nod. He then went back over to the orb, aiming his sword for the most potent blow. Cloud flexed the hand that Link held, warmth lingering on it. _Right. Let’s just...get out of here._

He stared at his hand, then back over to Link. _I can think about this later._

With one strong, overhand blow, Link shattered the orb with the blade of his sword, and it swarmed darkness around them, until darkness was all that remained.

* * *

The TV screen was a bloom of static as Bayonetta bit down on her lollipop, crunching the last bit of candy that was still on it. “What a good show,” she mused, chuckling to herself.

Pit had his face buried into the side of Palutena’s robes, who simply gawked at the screen. “Is it over, Lady Palutena?” Pit whimpered.

“I...yes,” she said slowly, tilting her head over to the witch. “What on earth _was_ that? Did you come up with those demons…?”

“Of course not,” she replied. “I just thought the whole ‘Shadow’ portion of this was rather boring.” She put the words “shadow” in air quotes with her fingers. “I thought that it being the last obstacle ought to be a little more...intense.”

“B-but Lady Bayonetta, they could have _died!”_ Pit exclaimed, his wings twitching.

“Oh, don’t be silly, no one _dies_ here,” she dismissed, standing up and stretching, making sure to press her butt out just enough to draw attention to it. “They’re big boys, they can handle it.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good enough measure,” Palutena remarked, eyes narrowed at her. “Bringing up trauma like that, because it’s more ‘fun’?”

“I didn’t see you hiding,” she replied, smirking. “Sometimes, facing one’s fears can make one even stronger. Ever think of that?”

Both Palutena and Pit fell silent, the latter flying up from the couch just high enough to jump over to the back of it. “Well, I don’t want to nap anymore,” he sighed, holding his elbows. “I’m gonna go see if there’s anyone in the Smash Run Labyrinth…”

Bayonetta chuckled reaching out to pluck a feather from his wings. “Have fun~,” she replied.

He yelped and scuttled away, leaving her to twirl the feather between her fingers. “No, they did rather well,” she mused. “What I’m interested in seeing is if they go from needing two beds to one.”

“Excuse me?” Palutena said sharply.

“Hm?” She blew the feather away, letting it flutter off toward the floor. “Nothing important.” Her grin said otherwise, as she outstretched her hand to the goddess on the couch. “Would you care to dance with me~?”

Palutena’s face returned to neutral as she took her hand to stand up, but immediately withdrew as soon as she was on her feet. “Which stage?” she asked.

Bayonetta pulled out one of her guns, brilliant blue, and tapped her on the nose with it. “Your treat,” she said, before sauntering away.

With a sigh, Palutena pushed her hair back from her shoulders and followed.

* * *

 

_Back here, safe and sound._

Cloud sat back on his bunk, one knee up and his hand resting on it, while Link sat cross-legged on the other side, with a peculiar instrument in his hands. Cloud wasn’t used to seeing him without his signature uniform, his hair a dark blonde mop, and in a loose shirt that still showed off how strong he really was. Yet, his hands were more delicate than to be expected, as he gingerly rolled the instrument around in his grasp. _More delicate than mine, anyway,_ Cloud thought, glancing down at his own calloused palm. He flexed it against his knee.

“What’s that?” Cloud asked.

Link blinked up, then readjusted his fingers to coordinate with the blue instrument’s holes, and blew softly through it. Its pitch was like a flute’s, but with less body, and much higher pitch. “Ocarina,” he whispered. He played only one note, then hesitated, before continuing with a melody. It was gentle and sweet, filled with longing and nostalgia. It rose and fell, and Cloud leaned his head back against the wall, letting the notes sink into him. _It’s been a long day, again._ His eyes fluttered closed. _I’d say I hope the rest of them aren’t like this, but given the track record...I don’t know for sure. Maybe they put all their newcomers through hell during the first weeks._

He smiled to himself. _At least I have someone to go through it with._

Link abruptly stopped playing, causing Cloud to open one eye. “Hm?”

He dropped the ocarina from his lips, then bit them, only catching Cloud’s eyes in glances. “What’s the matter?” Cloud asked again.

Link shook his head, then met his eyes in full. “You should smile more,” he replied, as soft as could be.

Cloud sighed through his nose, and now it was his turn to look away.


	6. Phase 6

_ (“Hey, you.” _

_ … _

_ “What’s with the long face? Something bugging you?” _

_ I saw you. The other day. _

_ “How was it?” _

_...I had to kill you. I had to see you die again. _

_ “Ah.” _

_ It was...horrible. Everything that I’d forgotten came back all at once. _

_ “Not much fun, is it?” _

_ No. And yet...a lot of the details are faded still. Everything about Midgar, Shinra, Sephiroth, and even you...it’s all like a big dream. _

_ “Yeah. You’re in a whole new world, for better or for worse.” _

_...I don’t want to forget you. _

_ “You won’t, don’t worry about that.” _

_ Why not? _

_ “Like I said, you know where to find me.” _

_ So...that was true, then? _

_ “We’re keeping an eye on you as best we can. Anyway, you’ve got someone else doing the same thing for you, right? Someone who’s right there with you.” _

_ Huh? _

_ “You know who I’m talking about.” _

_...Oh, yeah. Him. _

_ “Stay sharp, Cloud.”) _

_ BANG, BANG, BANG.  _

The beating of the bathroom door jolted Cloud from his thoughts, warm water pouring over his body. He slicked his hair back out of his face. “Yeah, I’ll be out in a minute!” he called, rinsing his face.  _ I dreamt about Zack last night. I remember it really clearly, for some reason.  _ He cranked the faucet off and yanked the shower curtain open, steam palpable throughout the tiny room. He grabbed two towels from off the sink, one to dry off his body and wrap around his waist, and another for his hair. He used his hair towel to wipe the steam from the mirror, catching his damp reflection as he did so.  _ I’ll...do my best,  _ he told himself. 

Tucking his towel so that it stayed snug, he opened the door, letting a rush of cool, dry air into the bathroom. Drying off his hair, he nearly ran smack into Link, who was waiting right outside. “Ack!” he exclaimed, and Link jumped back too, startled as well. He yanked the towel off his hair and let it rest on the back of his neck. “Don’t wait so close.”

Link did a quick once over him, then returned to his hair. He reached out and pulled at the spikes that emerged, squeezing a little water out as he tapped it. “O-oh, yeah. It’s always like that, no matter what,” Cloud replied. “I’m all set in there.”

He nodded, then made signing gestures with his hands, spelling out words.  _ Ah, he really does want to try this out. Okay, I think I can read it… _

“We’re...in the...All-Star pool today,” Cloud repeated as Link signed, squinting his eyes to focus. “Report...to our...separate...groups. Wait, we’re not going to be in the same group?” 

Link shook his head. He pointed to himself, and held out six fingers; then he pointed to Cloud and held up three.  _ Figures.  _ He ignored the sinking in his chest from this revelation. “I’ll...wait up for you in the foyer once you’re done, I guess,” Cloud said. “Who’s fighting today?”

Link spelled out the names. “Samus...and Lucina?” Cloud asked. Link nodded in reply.  _ Those two do seem to be together a lot, if I’m thinking of the right girls.  _ A breeze brushed against his chest, and goosebumps prickled against his collarbone. He had forgotten that he was still practically naked. “W-well, go ahead, then. I’ll catch up with you later.” 

Cloud walked past him to his bunk, then whipped around last second, the force of it so fast that he had to grip the towel around his waist. “Link?” 

He stopped right before he closed the door, peeking his head out, a figurative question mark hovering above his head. Cloud bit back a smile trying to rise to the surface. “Good luck today,” he said.

Link grinned back. “You too,” he replied, quiet as ever, and slipped back into the bathroom.

* * *

 

The waiting room Cloud was sent to was small and modest, with a few chairs scattered against the walls. There was a single portal door, dim at the moment, with a light right above it in the shape of the Smash logo, as he had come to know it. It currently was dark. He sat down in one of the chairs, bent over as his eyes scanned the group. Most of this group were animals of some kind--the yellow mouse he had seen in his first day, a dragon of some kind, a large, purple mutated cat (its gaze was rather intense--Cloud made a point to avoid eye contact), and a pink, ball like critter, different from the one Link had trouble with in their All-Star run.  _ Most of these are...Pokemon, right?  _ He laced his hands together in his lap.  _ Something like that. I forget their names. As for the others… _

Ganondorf was leaning against the wall by the portal door, arms crossed and stoic. There was a young boy pacing around in a striped shirt and hat, playing with a yo-yo. The last challenger was a person wrapped in bandages, from their feet up to their head, only strands of brownish hair peeking out from their headwrap. Only their eyes and nose were visible through the wrappings, and there was a red crest on their chest, in the shape of an eye. When Cloud caught their eye, they immediately approached him, standing next to his seat. “How are you feeling?” they asked. Their voice was had a decidedly mid-range timbre to it, gender impossible to discern.

“Fine,” he replied.  _ This is someone from Link’s world. They were particularly focused on him during our All-Star run, but I’ve never seen them around the lobby.  _ “Who...are you, again?”

“Sheik,” they replied. “I am the last of the Sheikah, guardians of the kingdom of Hyrule. I assisted Link on his journey at one time.” They looked directly down at him, reddish eyes gleaming. “He seems to have taken a liking to you.”

“Hm?”  _ How would you know that?  _

“I hardly see him without you, or vice versa.”

“He’s helping me while I get used to this place,” Cloud replied curtly, shifting in his seat.

“Is that all?” they asked.

_ Is it?  _ Cloud recalled Link’s warm voice, so close to his face, and bit the inside of his cheek. He could hear them chuckling underneath their mask, and it made his ears burn. “He speaks very kindly of you,” they continued. “You work well together.”

“Is that right,” Cloud said, jaw tight. “Funny, I’ve never seen him talk to you before.”

From the portal door, Ganondorf cleared his throat loudly. The Smash logo was flashing, and the portal door was glowing with white light. “Line up, everyone,” he commanded.

Sheik jerked their head toward the door, while everyone else filed into a line behind Ganondorf. Quietly, Cloud shuffled himself to the back, arms crossed.  _ Whatever. Just get this over with, and then-- _

_ “Pi~?”  _ A chirping noise came from below him. By the time he looked down, it was right in his ear, accompanied by a crackle of static electricity.  _ “Pika!”  _

“Gh!” Cloud jerked back, but found he couldn’t get away from the yellow mouse that had perched on his shoulder. Its tall ears wiggled cheerfully, tiny claws on its paws digging into his shirt to stay steady. “Wh...what is it?” 

_ “Pikachu!”  _ It pointed ahead, near where Sheik was standing, in a wide stance with their arms crossed. 

“Cloud, you’re up here,” they said.

“Oh.” Pikachu jumped off his shoulder, waving before it jumped back in line. “Th...thanks.”

He shuffled forward, and a space had been made right between Sheik and another one of the Pokemon. “Being up first is pretty painless,” Sheik muttered. “Just try to get as much damage in as you can. They’ve probably healed once already.”

Cloud nodded, eyes straight ahead toward the portal door, blindingly white.  _ Wait, “painless”? What’s that supposed to mean?  _

Entering the portal sent him out to an enormous bridge, the sun burning red on the horizon. A huge castle loomed far in the distance, hazy and unfocused, but he forced his attention ahead, to his opponents. He recognized Lucina immediately, in her standard uniform, blue clad and on her toes, ready to fight. On the other hand, Samus was in completely different attire than her mech suit--instead, she wore a light blue catsuit, tight on every inch of her body, with a gun in her hand. And as soon as Cloud’s feet touched the cobblestone of the bridge, she came straight for him.

She started off with a swift kick, and he held his sword across him to block it. Her boot made a clanging sound against it, and was surprised when he found himself skidding backwards from the force.  _ I don’t remember her being this strong when we did All-Star…!  _ He dug his heels in and slashed a couple times forward, giving him some space to work with. She took the blows with stride, and followed up with a slide kick, knocking him off his feet. “Not quite as fearless on your own, are you?” she commented, her gun shooting out an electric whip that caught him by the arm. It dragged him right up to her chest, fully emphasizing her height. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he grunted, squirming in the electric hold. He found himself panting already, even though he had only received a few blows. 

Her lips pursed, trying to mask a smirk. “You were hell-bent on knocking everyone before they could even touch Link.”

Cloud flinched his arm to jab his sword into her foot, but she dodged deftly. “To make sure  _ he  _ didn’t get knocked out!” he retorted.  _ And he was supporting me from behind, too. Range while I attacked… _

“Samus! Finish him off!” Lucina yelled. Looking beyond her, Sheik and Ganondorf were nowhere to be found, replaced by Pokemon instead. The dragon like one  _ (Charizard…? I think that’s what it was…)  _ was breathing fire at her, and she yelped, yanking her singed cape back.  _ “Hurry!”  _

Samus tilted her head back to Cloud, amusement in her eyes. “You don’t have to get all defensive,” she said, snickering. “I understand  _ completely.” _

_ What? _

She threw him up in the air, letting her electric whip shock him as he went up, as well as following up with a set of rolling kicks. Before he had any chance to react or retaliate, he was sent skyrocketing toward the sky, burning heat searing over his body before he burst into light.

* * *

_ (there’s nothing but white light _

_ a hand reaches out to me, familiar and warm _

_ it’s his, and I take it…) _

* * *

Cloud woke up with a start on a stretcher, heart racing. “Take it-a easy,” a thickly accented voice told him, pressing against his chest with a white gloved hand back down. Blinking at the florescent light, his eyes adjusted to the face of Mario--there was no denying it, from the voice, to the short stature and mustache--but wearing a very different outfit. Instead of his standard red shirt and overalls, he was in a white lab coat with a stethoscope around his neck. 

“Mario?” he said. He held his head, as it was starting to pound.

“That’s-a me.  _ Doctor  _ Mario, right now,” he replied with a chuckle. “You’d-a be surprised at how many of us have alter egos.” He glanced at a couple computer screens, tapping them with the back of a pen. “Samus, Zelda…”

“Zelda?” 

“She likes to keep hers pretty private,” he said. “But, you’ve already seen it. It’s a matter of whether you can-a put the pieces together.”

_ Huh.  _ The computer beeped, and Mario clapped his hands together. “You-a should be good to go. The foyer is straight ahead, and then a left.”

“Thanks,” Cloud mumbled, swinging his legs off the stretcher. Looking behind him, he saw that there was a portal door behind him, as well as a few other stretchers on each side of his, some occupied, most empty.  _ I guess they’re prepared for everyone to get knocked out. Wonder why I didn’t get sent here the first time… _

He shuffled out of the infirmary--labeled as such on the outside--and headed down the carpeted hallway, taking the left as instructed. The foyer was already fairly populated, most of the challengers crowded around the biggest TV, watching the current group.  _ So that’s how they know how we fought all around, besides just fighting us themselves.  _ He crossed his arms to keep his hands from fidgeting.  _ I really don’t care for all this noise… _

As he scanned the room, he spotted Sheik in a corner by themselves. Their hand was held out in front of them, body relaxed, eyes closed. They snapped their fingers, and with a spark of light, disappeared, only to have Zelda reappear on the opposite side of where they stood. She took a deep breath and smoothed out her dress, making sure her hair was in place before resuming her standard, regal posture.  _ Wait a second.  _

He followed her as she strode through the foyer with purpose. “Zelda?” 

She spun on one heel to address him. “Yes, Cloud?” she asked, her gaze intense per usual.

“You…” he started, then hesitated. “I saw you…you were just--”

Her eyebrows raised up slightly, then she smirked. “Ah, you met Sheik,” she said. “They are more nimble and have an aspect of stealth on the battlefield that I quite enjoy.” 

_ That doesn’t really answer what I was asking.  _ “So...you can become Sheik at anytime?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” she replied, covering her mouth with her hand. Her voice became slightly deeper. “You tell me.”

At Cloud’s surprised face, she chuckled. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to get to my waiting room.”

He nodded slowly as she passed.  _ So, she’s fighting twice? Once with my group, and then again with...Link’s.  _ “H-hey!” 

She turned once again, a small frown on her face. “What?”

“Tell Link...I’ll be waiting out here for him,” he said, immediately looking down at the floor. Adrenaline spiked through him, most prominently in the tips of his fingers and the top of his head.  _ I want to see him again.  _

Much to his surprise, she smiled. “Sure,” she replied, and carried on her way. 

Alone once again, Cloud wandered through the foyer, out to the dining hall, which was mostly empty at the current time.  _ Don’t know how long it’s going to take for him to get out. His group was right near the end.  _ As he scanned the empty tables, he noticed a book sitting out on one of them.  _ Oh? That’s… _

As he got closer, he saw the familiar red, metallic lettering, and immediately picked it up.  _ That’s the sign language book Link got from the library. He must have left it out here after breakfast. I didn’t even notice… _ He held it by the spine and let his arm drop to his side.  _ Something to read while I wait...and to deter people from trying to talk to me.  _ He grimaced.  _ Kind of tired of being the new guy.  _

He plopped down on an overstuffed chair back in the foyer, away from the rest of the challengers, and opened to the front of the book. The first practical thing it featured was an alphabet of individual letters with corresponding hand signs.  _ He’s been starting to use these,  _ he recalled.  _ They kind of mimic the letters they’re supposed to represent, so it can’t be too hard.  _ He laid the book out on his lap and held one hand out in front of him to practice.  _ Let’s see...A...B, C… _

The chair wiggled from the back, and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck raise from static electricity. The sensation heightened as a weight sat on his shoulder. “Pikachu…” he sighed.

The Pokemon peered over his shoulder, an ear flicking.  _ “Pika?”  _

“It’s sign language,” Cloud said, jerking the shoulder Pikachu sat on. “Are you going to stay there…?”  _ So much for getting away from everyone.  _

_ “Pi! Pika!”  _ it replied, relaxing further and rubbing its face on Cloud’s cheek. Doing this generated a small, blue spark of electricity. 

“Ow!” He rubbed his face, a numbness spreading through his cheek. “Well, don’t shock me, or you can’t stay.”

Pikachu’s ears tipped down.  _ “Pi…”  _

He sighed again, trying to refocus his attention on the book, but for every moment he looked down, he spent another scanning the foyer.  _ More people keep coming out, but Link’s not out yet.  _ He turned the page, with diagrams of basic signs.  _ Boy, girl, dog, house. _

_ (“Not quite as fearless on your own, are you?”) _

_ I wonder if Link’s the same way.  _ He subtly shook his head, but not enough to rouse Pikachu.  _ He can’t be. Not with how long he’s been here.  _

_ Water, car, food, table.  _

_ I want to hear his voice more. It makes me wonder why he doesn’t use it.  _

_ Chair, sun, window, friend. _

_ Friend. _

He leaned his head back against the chair, staring up at the ceiling.  _ This is silly. I shouldn’t be so anxious about him. But, he’s been the only person really here for me so far, the only one who hasn’t treated me like a shiny new toy.  _

_ He’s really kind… _

Cloud’s eyes fluttered shut, and he felt himself sinking into the soft, plush fabric of the chair. He sensed Pikachu jumping off from his shoulder to curl in his lap on top of the book, but he ignored it.  _ He’s so bright, cheerful, and playful. But, also serious. And brave.  _

_ (“You should smile more.”) _

_ Is it...really that rare? It seems like every time he smiles, I want to join him. It’s contagious. Everything about him is.  _

_ I… _

_ Ah.  _

He smirked to himself, a dull warmth blanketing him.  _ Link, you’ve made this whole thing...a lot easier to digest. And I-- _

His thoughts were interrupted by a tap on his head. 

Cloud didn’t realize he was dozing until he tried to sit up, grogginess slowing his every action. No one was immediately around, but looking straight up, he found Link hanging over the top of the chair, grinning and waving. Cloud returned it, despite his sleepiness. “Hey. How’d you do?”

He made a platform with one hand and placed two fingers on it, then made them fly off behind him with a quiet chuckle. Looking around, he began to spell-sign.  _ “I got knocked out pretty fast.”  _

“Me too,” Cloud replied. He went to sit up, but there was still a sleeping Pikachu occupying his lap. He scratched between his ears, ignoring the electricity. “Hey. It’s time to wake up.”

_ “Pika…”  _ it groaned, rolling over onto its back.  _ “Pika, pi…” _

“I know, come on,” he sighed, scooping the Pokemon up in one hand and closing the sign language book with the other. Upon being moved, Pikachu crawled up Cloud’s arm and returned to flop on his shoulder. He held out the book to Link. “You forgot this out here--what? What is it?”

Link was giggling behind his hand, a wheezing sort of sound, but recognizable by the spark in his eyes. They kept flashing from Pikachu back to his face. “H-hey, it just decided to use me as a pillow…” Cloud insisted, even as it nuzzled against his neck.

_ “You made a new friend?”  _ Link signed.

“I wouldn’t say that,” he pouted. As Link took the book off his hands, he immediately crossed them, looking away. 

_ “Pikachu,”  _ Pikachu said, tail flicking up.

The foyer was becoming more boisterous by the second, as everyone else crowded around the TV, actively commentating the last round of the All-Star match. Even Pikachu turned on Cloud’s shoulders, ears twitching to the commotion. Link managed to catch Cloud’s eye for a moment, in order to gesture to the crowd and make a slash across his neck. “No, I’ve never been a big fan of crowds,” Cloud said. 

Link pointed to him, then back out into the hallway toward the dorms. “Don’t...you want to see any of this?” he asked.

He shrugged, then looked pointedly at Cloud.  _ Up to me, huh.  _

Pikachu was starting to squirm.  _ “Pika! Pika!”  _ it squeaked, bouncing on his shoulder.

Cloud nudged it with the back of his hand. “Go on,” he suggested. 

Before it left, Pikachu flashed him a cheery look, then jumped off, rolling into a ball before hitting the ground and scurrying over to the crowd. Cloud rubbed his shoulder, a hair numb from the latent electricity Pikachu was giving off.  _ Not terrible company,  _ he thought,  _ but… _

He glanced over at Link, who was still smiling at him.  _ This is better.  _ “What  _ now?”  _ he said.

Link took a look around, making sure no one was watching, then stepped right side by side with him. He cupped his hands around his ear, sandwiching Cloud’s arms between his elbows. “Cute,” he murmured.

The closeness combined with the comment made his face grow hot. “C-cute?” he repeated. “You...I...I’m not--”

Link punched him playfully in the shoulder, then placed a hand on his back, pushing him toward the dormitory hall. “You’re weird, you know that?” Cloud said, finding it difficult to keep his feet in line.  _ Cute. Cute.  _

He stuck his tongue out and shrugged, clearly basking in whatever victory he had won, lightness in his steps.  _ If I’ve ever been called that, it’s been ages. Cute, huh. _

Cloud side eyed Link, who was also a little pink in the cheeks.  _ Speak for yourself. _


	7. Phase 7

“Cloud…”

Link’s shy voice awoke him, and despite its soothing melody, Cloud opted to roll over onto his stomach. “Morning,” he groaned, eyes still shut tight. _I barely slept at all last night. I’m going to be useless in fights today. All because of_

_(“Cute.”)_

_that._

He felt the blankets being pulled off him, and he rolled back over, rubbing his eyes. “Okay, okay, I’m up,” he said, blinking at the morning sun filtering through the window. Link was kneeling right by the bunk, an amused look on his face. _Don’t look at me like that._ What was more interesting--even if only slightly--was what he was wearing. Instead of his standard tunic and chain-mail, Link was donning much more casual clothing. A fitted, green sweatshirt with a yellow t-shirt underneath, and a pair of cargo pants to go with it. Without his hat, it was easier to see the small, blue earrings dangling from each ear. “What, are we not fighting today?” Cloud asked.

Link shook his head. _“Special tournament for the Fire Emblem group,”_ he signed.

“Oh,” he replied, sitting up. “Which ones are they, again?”

He counted on his fingers before signing. _“Marth, Roy, Ike, Lucina, Robin…”_ He paused, tapping a finger to his lip in thought. When it came to him, he snapped his fingers, his whole face lighting up. _“Corrin.”_

“Okay.” He scratched his bare chest as Link stood up, pacing around the room. “Give me a second to get dressed, and--”

Link leaned against the bedpost, bending over again. “It might be crowded,” he whispered. “We don’t have to.”

 _Link._ Cloud opened his mouth, then closed it again. “N-no, it’s fine,” he replied. “Might as well see what it’s all about, right?”

Link nodded and gave him a thumbs up. He then pulled the hood on his sweatshirt over his head and walked toward the door. _“Breakfast,”_ he signed, then made his exit, leaving Cloud alone.

He ran a hand back through his hair, spikes pointing back up as soon as his palm left them, and stood up, moseying over to his dresser. _Wonder if there's any casual clothes for me. The SOLDIER uniform does get a little stiff after a while._ He dug through to the bottom drawer, where he found some dark jeans, a tank top, and a dark sleeveless hoodie. _It works._ As he pulled the tank top over his head, his hand grazed over a single earring on his left ear. _He wears them too._

He finished getting dressed, zipping the hoodie halfway, as well as grabbing a couple of leather wristbands and sliding one on each wrist. They had a wolf embroidered in white on them, something that

_(Fenrir)_

seemed familiar. The pink ribbon was also on the dresser, and he tied it around his left arm. _So I don't forget._

_(“You won't, don't worry about that.”)_

Link was right outside the door when he came out, and nodded with approval before heading down the hall. Cloud became particularly aware of how close they were walking, side by side, arms barely brushing. “I thought you’d already be eating,” Cloud said.

 _“I wanted to wait,”_ Link signed.

The main hall was bustling more than usual, chatter echoing from the dining area to the foyer. Link immediately gravitated to the cafeteria line, while Cloud lingered back, hands in his pockets. Link already had a tray in his hand before he realized this, and had to jerk back to tug on his arm. “I don’t need anything, we’re not even fighting today,” Cloud insisted, shrugging him off. He was met with an exasperated sigh, and Link snuck around the line to grab an apple from the fruit basket to toss at him. Cloud barely caught it, juggling it in his hands before getting a grip. _All right, I guess._ He took a bite staring right at him, and Link grinned in response. _There’s no winning against that…_

He made his way to their usual table, where Zelda was already sitting. Instead of her standard garb, she was wearing a simple lilac dress, belted around her waist with a long, gold necklace that was long down her front. It had a pendant that was shaped like the heart containers he had seen before, only completely in gold. “Guessing you’re not fighting today, either,” Cloud commented.

“I could, if I wanted,” she replied. “But having a day off isn’t a bad thing.”

Link returned with a plate of waffles, and instead of taking his usual seat next to Zelda, he chose to sit next to Cloud, bumping his knee as he sat down. Zelda’s eyes flicked between the two of them, a twitch of amusement on her lip. “It should be a fun tournament. All of the Fire Emblem group are sword users with aggressive techniques.”

“I see,” Cloud said, taking another bite of his apple. “Hope we’re not all crowding around that TV to watch…”

“Oh, not for this,” she said. “I believe it’s held at the Colosseum, with a grandstand and everything.”

Link nodded in agreement, then put his fork down to sign to Cloud. _“Everyone fights in a group match, then split off into pairs,”_ he signed. He was beginning to combine spelling with his usual gestures, making the sentences flow faster.

“Hm?” Zelda inquired, curious.

“O-oh, he was just telling me about the rules of the tournament,” Cloud clarified. _I thought she’d be able to pick up on that. I’ve noticed she can read most of his gestures, but...when I first got here, Link spoke with her directly._

“I see,” she said, smirking. “I can save you two seats, if you’d like. I’ll be in the top row with Rosalina.”

Cloud opened his mouth to agree, but Link interjected, shaking his head and hovering his hand about an inch from the table. “Ah, that’s right. You like to be close to the action, don’t you?” Zelda said. “Well, you two can decide and let me know.”

Link nodded, his tray cleaned, and poked Cloud’s shoulder. He jerked his thumb back toward the lobby. “Sure, we can go,” Cloud said, setting his apple core onto his tray. “See you,” he said to Zelda.

The boys stood up and made their way to the lobby, after Link dumped his tray in the trash. Small groups had formed all around--most fighters were in casual clothing, with the exception of a select few, and the Fire Emblem group. Scanning around, he spotted Lucina and Samus, the latter giving a pep talk.

“You’ll do fine,” she said. She was in simple jeans and a pink t-shirt, tight enough to showcase her well toned arms. “Just stay focused.”

“I’m not that good in _complete_ free-for-alls,” Lucina replied. “I’m afraid I’m going to get a low score in the first match and not be able to climb my way up…”

“We just did All-Star the other day,” Samus said, placing her hands on her shoulders. “And you did most of the work, too. You’re going to do great.”

They exchanged a soft look, then Samus bent down and kissed her, sweet and quick. “Go get ‘em,” she encouraged.

Cloud’s gaze shifted around. _Looks like everyone’s giving send-offs to the group that’s fighting,_ he thought. Within his field of vision, he spotted another knight-- _Marth, was it?--_ taking the hand of a woman in a pastel pink dress, with long blonde hair and a crown. He bowed and kissed her hand, and she giggled. _Marth and Peach._ Link was still glued to his side, shoulders touching as they made their way through the crowd. _Didn’t realize there’d be that many couples around here._

_(or did you?)_

“Link! Yo, _Link!”_

They both turned around, and were approached by a brawny man with red hair, a headband tied around his forehead, and sporting a toothy grin. “What, you’re not going to come wish me good luck?” he exclaimed.

He held out his hand for a high five, and Link laughed and took it, and they both brought it in for a one armed hug. After, Link gestured from Cloud to him and grinned. _“Roy,”_ he signed to Cloud. _“We used to be roommates.”_

Cloud nodded, swallowing his heart rising in his throat. _I see._ Roy ignored the signing for the most part, bouncing on his toes. “Man, I’ve got a really good feeling about this match,” he said. “I’ve been working up for it all week. Hell, you’ve been working hard, too!” He clapped Link on the shoulder. “Don’t think I haven’t been paying attention to my old bro!”

Link chuckled again and gave him a thumbs up. He then pointed to Cloud and made sword slashing gestures with both hands. “Ah yeah, this guy’s not too shabby either,” Roy remarked. “Cloud, right? I gotta say, you guys have some serious synergy going on. When Link and I first did All-Star, we got knocked out after the second round.”

“Really?” Cloud said.

“Yeah, well, I wasn’t nearly as strong then,” he dismissed, waving his hand. “But I’m back and better than ever!” He pumped his fist in the air, and Link mimicked it with a cheery grin. Cloud, on the other hand, crossed his arms. _He’s been here longer, of course he’s had time to make friends like this. I_ know _I’m not his only friend, that’d be silly._ He found himself biting his tongue. _Still, though._

A tall, muscular man, a head taller than Roy and nearly two taller than Link and Cloud, approached him from behind. “Roy,” he said, voice rumbling deep as he placed a meaty hand on his shoulder.

“Ike!” he exclaimed, whipping around, cape fluttering. “We ready to go?”

 _“Hai!”_ The pink, round fighter was perched on top of Ike’s head, his cheery disposition a stark contrast to the stone faced swordsman he was perched on.

“Kirby, are you fighting with us today?” Roy said. “Or, are you going to go in place of ol’ Ike, here?”

Kirby spun around, and suddenly sported a mop of blue hair, with a headband, remarkably similar to Ike’s, and did a small dance on top of his head. Even Cloud couldn’t help but giggle, covering his face with his hand, even as he felt Link watching him.

Ike, on the other hand, sighed. “We are about ready, so let’s go,” he said, turning on his heel and walking away, toward where the other Fire Emblem fighters had gathered.

“Hey, I’ll see you guys around, then,” Roy said, following behind. “We oughta spar sometime! Catch up with me later!”

He saluted to both of them, and Link waved back, while Cloud simply nodded. “You said he was your roommate,” he asked. “What happened?”

Link bit his lip. _“He left,”_ he signed. _“When he came back, he was put with people that he recognized.”_ His fingers quivered for a moment, then dropped to his sides.

“Let me guess,” Cloud said, as they continued to walk through the crowds. “You haven’t had a roommate in a while?”

He nodded, then purposefully bumped into Cloud’s shoulder. _Except for me._ He glanced up at the ceiling briefly before they entered the portal door ahead. _Looks like we both have been a little lonely._

* * *

Like Zelda mentioned, the Colosseum was a huge stadium, with grandstands all around. It was more than enough seating for all the challengers. Many people were scattered about in small groups, but Link made a bee-line for the bottom rows, closest to the action. He picked a section that was completely empty, moving into the middle of the row and patting the seat beside him. Cloud eased himself down, leaning forward with his hands clasped between his legs. There were no armrests on the chairs, allowing Link to lean back and still be close to him. “There’s no bottomless gap,” Cloud said, observing the battlefield. “So, are knockouts only straight up?”

Link leaned over to him, hands cupped around his ear again. “There’s a barrier around the audience. If they’re sent this way, they’ll disappear.”

Cloud nodded. “Right.” His mouth felt dry, and his left thigh kept bouncing underneath his elbow. _We’re just spectators, but why do I feel so damn nervous?_

“Welcome to the Fire Emblem Tournament!” a voice boomed over the loudspeakers. “Palutena here as your gracious hostess. Would all fighters please make their way onto the battlefield?”

One by one, the six challengers made their way out onto the stage, with varying levels of applause. When Roy came out, waving to the crowd, Link held two fingers to his lips and whistled through them in support. Cloud clapped for everyone else, even if only to keep his hands busy.

“The battle will start in three...two...one... _fight!”_

Each of the fighters immediately started charging at one another, swords high. “Marth is the fastest,” Link whispered to him, then reverted to sign language as the crowd grew to a thunderous roar. _“But Ike has the most power.”_

Cloud nodded, as he saw Marth dart around the battlefield, catching Lucina off-guard and landing a three-slash combo against her. Roy was occupied with Robin, the sorcerer he remembered from their encounter during the All-Star run. “Is that...fire coming from his sword?” Cloud said.

Link nodded. _“That’s his specialty. His flaming sword can be really dangerous,”_ he signed. He then pointed to Robin on the field, who had a spell book in the hand opposite his sword. _“Robin has spells and range to counter it.”_

“Oh, what a nice combo by the newcomer, Corrin!” Palutena exclaimed over the loudspeaker. “That neutral air attack with that impressive sword is going to be hard to beat this round!”

“Is she... _barefoot?”_ Cloud marveled, staring closer at Corrin. Her white hair swung behind her back, but as she threw her sword forward, her form transformed into a strange, dragon like beast, pinning her current foe, Ike, to the ground. Link only shrugged in reply, mimicking the way Cloud was sitting. Doing this made their thighs flush with each other, and Cloud was made very aware of his own breathing.

“Our veteran Marth has the first KO of the day! Lucina is down one stock, everyone else is still at two, but damage is riding high…”

“Hopefully she can make up for it,” Cloud muttered, mostly to himself. _According to what she was telling Samus, this is exactly what she was afraid of._

Link waved his hand in front of Cloud’s face to catch his attention. _“You’ve seen her fight. Lucina is strong,”_ he signed. He made a few quick sword slashing motions with arm, quick and animated enough to make his hood slide off his head.

Cloud smirked and pulled it back over his messy, blond hair. A couple of his fingers got tangled in it on the way through, and he was surprised by its softness. “Take it easy,” he said. Link replied with a chuckle, and Cloud forced himself to pay attention to the match. His smile was contagious.

“And a KO for Roy! That Flare Blade sure has some power behind it. And another, this time to Marth again!” Palutena’s speech picked up speed due to the high action on the field. “Only Robin is still on his first stock, making him a prime target for everyone else…”

Cloud had been sitting back a little bit, but he leaned forward again, elbows on his knees, chin against his clasped hands. _He keeps sitting so close to me,_ he thought, as he caught Link rolling up his sleeves out of the corner of his eye. _He sat next to me instead of Zelda this morning. Why am I over-analyzing everything?_

_Hey, Link…_

As if he heard his thoughts, Link dipped his head down, curiosity written on his face. “Wh-what?” Cloud spat, a little harsher than he meant to. “S-sorry. I’m fine, really.” _This is torture, really torture. And I don’t even know_

_(you’re close now)_

_why I’m even_

_(but wouldn’t you want to be closer?)_

_feeling this way._ He stared at the ground, until Link’s hand began rubbing his back in a soothing, circular motion. _Maybe it’s because you’re so kind to me, even though we’ve just met, and I barely remember anything about myself. Maybe it’s because you always have my back, even when I try to do things alone._

 _And if there’s one thing I do know, one thing I_ do _remember…_

_It’s that I’m tired of being alone._

“And in a shocking turn of events, Marth is defeated first!” Palutena announced, as a flash of light distracted Cloud back to the ring. He spotted Lucina immediately, hanging back toward the edge of the stadium to catch her breath. The other fighters were still swarming in on each other, a little sloppier than when the match first started.

Ike rushed at Roy, sword held high, but he was clearly prepared for it, catching the blow with his sword and countering him with its flames, rocketing him high in the air. “Nice counter by Roy, as Ike is off the board. Who will be the last one standing, I wonder…”

Link’s hand lingered on Cloud’s back as he watched the rest of the match play out, focused as if his life depended on it. As Roy relished in his victory, Robin came up behind him and paralyzed him with a burst of light, then gave a forceful jab to his back. The combined attacks sent him flying out of bounds as well with a yelp. “Roy is defeated! Only three more left, and it’s all the newcomers!”

Link sighed through his teeth at Roy’s defeat, but made no comment to Cloud. Lucina managed to make her way back into the fray, light as ever on her feet, and going straight for Corrin. She sent a blue projectile her way, but she managed to dodge it, arching her back and almost keeling off balance. At the same time, Robin charged a spell from just behind her, although it was difficult to tell from a distance if she noticed.

“Lucina has the most damage, but I wonder if her and Robin will team up to take on Corrin?” Palutena commentated. Lucina charged forward, sword in both hands straight ahead, just as Robin closed his book and started running from the back. “Looks to be the case--!”

For a moment, Corrin stood still, poised with her sword out, but as soon as Lucina was about to jab at her chest, she thrust her body forward, sword out in front, while a strange, dragon talon jerked behind her. It caught Robin right at the tip, and immediately sent him flying, while her sword, rammed right through Lucina, skyrocketing her upward. Two streams of whitish light exploded from each end of the stadium, and Corrin held her sword high in the air. Immediately, the stadium erupted into screaming cheers.

“What a way to finish, with a double KO!” Palutena exclaimed, clapping over the loudspeaker. “Corrin wins the survival free-for-all! Next up, a short intermission before the individual rounds…”

“Hey,” Link muttered, close to his face. Cloud found himself leaning into it. “It’s not that exciting after this. Want to go?”

Cloud nodded slowly, as if in a dream. “Yeah,” he replied thickly. “Let’s go.”

* * *

When they got back to the room, Cloud took his time shutting the door behind him, leaning up against it. Link, on the other hand, seemed to be in good spirits, stretching his whole body, from his arms to his toes. _He’s just so...bright,_ Cloud thought as he watched him whip his hood off, his own palms clammy. _I wonder if I could be more like that._

_I wonder if it’s too late for me._

It took him a moment to realize Link was staring at him in curiosity. “Sorry. Just spacing out,” he said curtly, pushing himself off the door. _Yeah, spacing out is right._

 _“Are you okay?”_ Link signed.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” Cloud replied for the hundredth time. He paced a little past him to look out the window. “I just...didn’t sleep that great last night. And I…”

Link caught him by the wrist before he reached the window, spinning him toward him. “Cloud,” he said softly. “If there’s something wrong, you can tell me.”

 _There’s nothing wrong,_ he thought, unable to take his eyes off him. _That’s the whole point. There’s nothing wrong…_

_I’m just…_

“L-Link,” he started, tongue heavy in his mouth. “I…”

Link’s hand loosened around his wrist, and the grip fell to his hand, cupping it gently. _Like that makes it any better._ His fingers twitched around his palm, and he could feel slight callouses right along the upper curve of it. “I guess...I wanted...to thank you for all you’ve done for me since I’ve been here,” Cloud replied finally. Link’s face broke into a quiet smile as he continued. “Even though parts of it have been hell, I would’ve been worse off without someone, and you’ve...really had my back the whole time. S-so, thanks.”

Link nodded with a small vocal affirmative, but didn’t motion to sign or speak anything else. Cloud felt Link’s hand join more deliberately with his, and his heart began to thud loudly in his ears. _If any more blood rushes to my head, I’m going to get dizzy,_ he thought. Link bit his lip, his eyes wandering from his own down to his lips. _What?_

_What?_

_What is it…_

“Your eyes,” Link murmured. “They glow.”

 _Ah._ “I-it’s...it’s the Mako,” Cloud fumbled, rifling through his mind. “All members of SOLDIER h-have it, it’s not...it’s not a…”

“It’s nice,” Link finished for him. A second of silence passed, before Link took a deep breath, pulled Cloud forward by the hand and kissed him on the lips.

The kiss was soft and gentle, just like his voice, and Cloud found himself relaxed by it, despite the adrenaline coursing up and down his spine. Static filled his brain, washing out any residual anxiety, and by the time Link broke it, he realized he had closed his eyes sometime during the encounter. _Link…_

_...kissed me._

_Ah…_

When he gathered himself enough to focus back on him, Link pulled his hand away, using it to cover his mouth. His eyes darted along the ground, cheeks burning red and bringing out the few freckles that were there. “Wh-what’s wrong?” Cloud asked. Link shook his head in reply, beginning to back away. “Hey, wait--”

Cloud pulled his hand away from his mouth, lacing their fingers together, while the other gently touched his waist. “It’s okay,” he whispered to Link’s wide eyes. _This is what I wanted, wasn’t it? This is what I was waiting for._ “I...you can...ah…”

Link waited patiently, even though Cloud felt his fingers tense in his, while he struggled for words. “You can kiss me again,” he finished.

There was much less hesitation the second time, as Link squeezed his hand and leaned in for another kiss. He nipped against Cloud’s lips, making it deeper with every motion. Cloud reciprocated as best as he could, hand wrapping tighter around his waist. He was softer than he imagined, even from what he could remember from their hug in the Fortress, _probably because of his chainmail and armor._ Eyes closed, he focused on the sensation of their kiss, the intimacy of the small motions, and let himself go. _Link…_

_I’m glad...for this._

He felt a hand against his back, and with it, Link began guiding them over to the bottom bunk of the bed, breaking the kiss only so they could sit down properly on it. Hands still laced together, Link hesitated, scratching the back of his neck. “I...was nervous,” he whispered simply. “I didn’t think...you would…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Cloud replied. “Just…”

Cloud tilted his head, and it was his turn to initiate the kiss, leaning so far into him that they ended up falling back onto the bed. Link giggled into his mouth before they propped themselves back up and kissed again. As best as they could, anyway--Cloud caught a bit of Link’s laughter, and found it hard to keep his lips loose enough to continue. His smile stretched across his face, one of the first full, genuine ones he had, and Link tilted his head back just enough to see it. “You’re smiling,” he said, his other hand touching his face.

“Yeah,” Cloud replied. _Thanks to you._

Link returned it, wider, and began scattering butterfly kisses all along his face, from his cheeks, to his nose, to his lips. The light sensations tickled him, making his giggle turn into full laughter. “H-hey, stop that!” he protested, grinning the whole time.

Link giggled too, and ended the flurry of kisses with another deep one to his lips. His mouth parted slightly, and his tongue flicked out to meet Cloud’s just once before parting. Just the taste was enough to send a rush of heat through the back of his neck. _He’s...not bad. At all._

Link let go of his hand to cuddle into his side, arm at his chest with his head resting against his shoulder. _This feels...familiar, in a way,_ Cloud thought, reaching his own arm around to idly play with Link’s hair. _It wasn’t the same, but it_ felt _the same. At least, it did to me._

_I want to...stay like this. Even for just a little while. I want to stay close to you._

_I want to have your back, like you have mine._

“Cloud,” Link said, quiet but serious. “Are you going to be okay staying here? You...aren’t going to be able to go back.”

“I know,” he replied, leaning his head against Link’s. _I don’t know if I’ve made complete peace with it yet, either. But, I know I can’t go back to the world I was from. I just have to...make the best of what’s here._

_And you...are the best that I’ve found._

Cloud kissed Link’s temple. “I’ll be all right,” he said. “With you...I definitely will.”

Link scooted up, holding his cheek, and they kissed again, lost in themselves, for a long, long time.

_END_

* * *

 

Halfway through the match between Robin and Marth, Zelda scanned directly below where she was sitting. _I swear they were sitting right there. I wonder where they went off to?_

Beside her, Bayonetta giggled. “Are you looking for the boys?” she asked.

“I…” she began, still searching. “I thought they might have come here, but--”

“Oh, I think they’re having quite a good time on their own~,” she mused.

Zelda raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean by that?” she asked, immediately suspicious. On her other side, Rosalina was choosing not to involve herself, intently watching the fight.

“Don’t tell me _you_ haven’t noticed,” Bayonetta said, leaning her chin on her hand. “Of all people, the little budding romance between those two?”

“Romance? Hardly,” she scoffed. “I’m just glad Link’s made a close friend. Even if Cloud’s a little...curt, sometimes…”

Bayonetta chuckled. “I’ll bet you anything they’re in bed together at this very moment.”

 _“Honestly!”_ Zelda exclaimed, her hands twisting in her lap. “Why would you--”

“Oh, you’re turning red, dear!” she exclaimed, a devilish smile on her glossy lips. “Do you have _experience_ with one of them?”

“I am going to _leave_ if you keep pushing this topic,” Zelda scolded, turning her nose up.

“I’m not judging you, by any stretch of the imagination,” she said. “I wouldn’t mind tying either of those boys up. Would be a nice bit of fun…”

 _“Stop it,”_ she huffed.

“Fine, fine. We’ll find out sooner or later about those two,” Bayonetta sighed. Even as Zelda had her nose turned up, she held out a purple lollipop with a butterfly shape to her. “Want one?”

She side-eyed it, and with a small pout, reluctantly took it from her hand.


End file.
